Man jailed for 16 months after breaching probation tied to car theft case

A 41-year-old man from Birkirkara has been jailed for 16 months after the court revoked his probation order, ruling that he had persistently failed to follow instructions aimed at helping him address his drug abuse.

Francois Micallef who resided in Birkirkara, was originally placed under a probation order after being found guilty of stealing a car in September 2022. However, the court noted that Micallef repeatedly failed to show any genuine commitment to reform, despite multiple opportunities and support services made available to him.

The probation officer testified that Micallef often skipped scheduled meetings, ignored instructions to provide urine samples, and failed to remain in contact as ordered.

Although at times he appeared to make progress, such as during a period in preventive custody when he began cooperating with professionals and attending rehabilitation programmes, this improvement was short-lived.

Micallef also refused recommendations to seek treatment at Mount Carmel Hospital and continued testing positive for heroin and cocaine. He offered excuses for failing to provide urine samples but never backed these up with medical evidence.

The court observed that on several occasions he had, in fact, given samples without difficulty, concluding that his failure to comply was deliberate.

The probation officer described Micallef as unwilling to take advantage of support services available to him, stressing that he lacked motivation to change his lifestyle.

The court highlighted that he had a long history of convictions linked to theft and had squandered repeated chances for rehabilitation.

After finding that he had repeatedly breached his probation, the court revoked the order and sentenced him to 16 months in prison.

The prosecution was led by Inspector Ritienne Gauci. Magistrate Elaine Rizzo presided over the case.