Thief with criminal record of 'biblical proportions' gets jail time over car robbery and card fraud

A convicted thief has been jailed two years after being found guilty of a plethora of offences. 

Matthew Frendo of Bormla, was found guilty of aggravated theft, wilful damage, fraud, attempted fraud, breaching bail conditions and recidivism.

The 50-year-old stole bank cards and other documents from a parked Mazda Demio and of causing damage to the vehicle.

He was also convicted of using the stolen cards to fraudulently obtain goods from Kerala Stores in Paola, attempting a similar fraudulent transaction at The Convenience Shop in Paola and breaching bail conditions imposed in another case.

Victim found car window smashed after work

According to the evidence presented in court, the victim had parked her car at about 5:30am before going to work. When she returned at around 12 hours later, she found the front passenger-side window smashed and discovered that her wallet had been stolen from the glove compartment.

The wallet contained her ID card, driving licence and bank cards issued by APS, HSBC and Revolut.

While waiting for police, she began receiving SMS alerts showing that the stolen cards were being used. The court heard that successful transactions were made at Kerala Stores, while another attempted transaction at The Convenience Shop in Paola was declined because the card did not go through.

The victim told the court the incident caused her such distress that she suffered chest pain and had a panic attack.

Police testified they reviewed CCTV footage from the relevant shops and nearby areas. The suspect was described as a man with tattoos on his face wearing a black jacket.

Officers found Frendo together with another woman, near the Għajn Dwieli tunnel. Frendo was carrying a blue basket containing the items purchased with the stolen cards, including beer, an energy drink, wine and garbage bags.

Police later found the victim’s stolen bank cards discarded on the road a short distance from The Convenience Shop.

Inspector Zerafa told the court Frendo gave a statement admitting that he had used the bank cards to make purchases, but claimed they had been given to him by a Serbian man whose identity he did not know.

In a separate statement, Frendo denied being the person shown in footage from Kerala Stores and denied being the person seen in footage allegedly showing the theft from the Mazda Demio. He also denied having addictions, though he insisted he was mentally ill.

The woman who was with Frendo on the day of the incident testified that Frendo used a screwdriver to force entry into the vehicle. She said Frendo then entered shops and used the cards he stole to buy items.

The court found her testimony credible, coherent and consistent with the CCTV footage and the rest of the prosecution’s evidence.

Defence attack CCTV evidence

The defence argued the wilful damage charge had not been properly proven because the court allegedly lacked concrete evidence of the damage and its value.

It also challenged the CCTV evidence, arguing there was insufficient proof of the chain of custody, and noted the person who physically handed the footage to police did not testify.

The defence further argued if the CCTV were excluded, little reliable evidence would remain, and insisted Frendo should be acquitted.

If the court were nevertheless to find him guilty, the defence said the sentence should reflect Frendo’s acute drug addiction and the need for treatment and therapeutic intervention, rather than a lengthy prison term.

Additional evidence showed Frendo had tested positive for cocaine, cannabis and heroin in March 2023, and again positive for cocaine four months later.

The court rejected Frendo’s claim the cards had been handed to him by an unknown Serbian man, finding the explanation not credible and unsupported by any independent evidence.

In sentencing, the court described Frendo’s criminal record as being of “biblical proportions”, noted that the victim had not been compensated and said that despite repeated opportunities to reform, he had continued to live a life of criminality.

Frendo was sentenced to an overall term of two years’ imprisonment, less any time already spent in preventive custody.

The court also ordered him to pay €70.65 to the victim.

In addition, the court placed Frendo under a three-year treatment order aimed at addressing his drug addiction.

Because of the bail breach, the court also revoked the bail decree of 4 August 2021, fined him €1,000, and ordered the confiscation of €5,000 from his personal guarantee in favour of the government.

In January, Frendo was also handed a seven-month prison sentence after being found guilty of stealing a €300 from a casino. In the same month, he was acquitted of stealing a car radio and tools from a parked car and even stealing a parked Suzuku Samurai.

Frendo was also acquitted of drug possession at the Corradino Correctional Facility in 2024.

The prosecution was led by Inspector Sarah K. Zerafa.

The judgment was delivered by Magistrate Nadine Sant Lia.