Man handed two-year suspended sentence over €30 house-theft

Zlatko Momirov, 45, was arraigned in court on Tuesday, facing theft charges after a homeowner returned to his St Julian's residence to find his front door wide open and caught him in the act.

The incident took place on 11 June at around 9:15pm, when police were alerted about a break-in at a property in St Julian's.

The court heard that the homeowner arrived home to find his front door ajar. Upon entering, he encountered the accused inside the property.

A brief struggle ensued as the victim attempted to restrain the intruder and hold him until authorities arrived. However, Momirov managed to break free and flee the scene on foot.

Furthermore, eagle-eyed neighbors who had grown suspicious of the man's presence in the area described his features, leading to the police locating the accused. 

The prosecution noted that €30 in cash was stolen from the residence during the burglary.

The accused entered a guilty plea. Noting that he is a first-time offender, that he registered a guilty plea at such an early stage, and that the money was returned to the victims, both the prosecution and defence agreed that an effective prison term was unnecessary. 

Therefore, the court handed the accused a two-year suspended sentence and a restraining order prohibiting any contact with the victims. 

Duty Magistrate Giannella Camilleri Busuttil presided.

AG lawyer Martina Muscat prosecuted along with Inspector Christian Xuereb. Lawyer Arthur Azzopardi represented the accused.