Convict jailed for heroin, cannabis possession in prison

Serial jailbird Melchior Spiteri has been jailed once again after a court found him guilty of being in possession of heroin with intent to traffic during a raid on his prison cell in 2007.

Spiteri was also found guilty of being in possession of other illegal substances, cannabis in this case, in jail.

The court was told how four packets of heroin, weighing a total of 4.28 grammes, and the cannabis were discovered hidden in a packet of cigarettes and under the mattress in Spiteri’s cell.

Spiteri, who at the time was serving a prior sentence, had claimed that the drugs were bought from another inmate and were solely for his personal use.

The accused claimed that the drugs were split into sachets in order to allow him “to keep track of how much he was using every day”. He told the court he consumed 2.5 grams a day.

Magistrate Natasha Galea Sciberras was not convinced by his arguments, however, noting that three of the sachets were found with identical weights with the fourth being only 0.01g heavier.

Psychiatrist Joseph Spiteri, who in 2007 had testified that drugs could be found "left, right and centre" at Corradino prison, testified that since 2010, Spiteri had not failed any drug tests.

In her judgment, the magistrate found Spiteri not guilty of bringing the drugs into prison due to the fact that he had purchased them from another prisoner, however she noted Spiteri’s long criminal record - 29 custodial sentences, as well as several suspended sentences, probation orders and fines and said that the court was satisfied that the accused had planned to sell the drugs in question.

Spiteri was sentenced to 18 months' imprisonment.