Man remanded in custody over Mellieha burglaries

A 25-year-old man from St Paul’s Bay was today remanded in custody after pleading not guilty to burgling two houses in Mellieha.

Clint Dalton, who is well known to the police, was also charged with the attempted burglary from another house in Mellieha, with damaging the houses, breaching bail conditions, and with committing the crime during the operative period of a suspended sentence.

He pleaded not guilty to all the charges.

The court, presided by Magistrate Ian Farrugia, heard that the alleged burglaries took occurred between July and October, and that Dalton gained entry through windows.

No request for bail was made, and consequently, Dalton was remanded in custody.

In September, Dalton was accused of burgling a house and to carrying out four failed burglaries during a 90-minute spell in Birkirkara. On that occasion, Dalton was alleged to have walked through the streets looking for homes with an open front door, before going in – even when residents were in their homes.

Last week, a court jailed another man for a year after he pleaded guilty to burgling a villa in Santa Maria Estate, in Mellieha. The accused, Jason Scerri, 40, of Balzan – whose face made rounds on social media after appearing in CCTV footage - was identified because of a distinctive tattoo depicting playing cards on his arm.

Inspectors Saviour Baldacchino and Maurice Curmi prosecuted.