Sliema vandal charged after leaving can of paint at scene of the crime

A 46-year-old Sliema man was today charged with vandalising a neighbour’s house on three separate occasions in June, after he was nabbed when the victim’s son found a bucket with blue paint with the accused’s name on it – just metres away from the scene of the crime.

Joseph Grech pleaded not guilty to throwing paint at his neighbour’s façade and to causing more than €2,100 in damage.

The court heard that the first incident of vandalism occurred on June 13, when the victim allegedly sprayed black paint on Sheila Azzopardi’s façade in Depiro Street, Sliema. Moreover, the accused is alleged to have vandalised his neighbour’s front window and louvers a week later.

Magistrate Aaron Bugeja also heard that a few days later, the vandal struck again, this time spraying light blue paint on his neighbour’s façade and windows. However, the light blue paint proved to be the vandal’s undoing, as the victim’s son found a bucket with blue paint with the accused’s name on it, just metres away from the scene of the crime.

The incident was brought to light after the victim’s son, Charles Azzopardi, reported the vandalism to the Sliema police. The court heard that a few days before the vandalism took place, Azzopardi had seen a “suspicious” man staring at his mother’s house.

Some time later, the accused was seen strolling close to the Sliema police station wearing clothes stained with blue paint.

Prosecuting Inspector Jonathan Ransley told the court that subsequently, district police arrested Joseph Grech and held him for questioning.

During his questioning, Grech had admitted that he had vandalised his neighbour’s house, and explained that he and Sheila Azzopardi had been at constant loggerheads over a reed curtain that he had damaged.

Grech told police that a few weeks before, he was carrying out restorations works on the house next door, and accidentally dropped some tools onto his neighbour’s reed curtain, damaging it in the process. The court heard that Azzopardi wanted €70 as compensation, but Grech said that this was too steep, and that every time he remembers the money he had to pay, he would vandalise the façade.

The victim’s son, Charles Azzopardi, told Magistrate Aaron Bugeja that as a result of the vandalism, his elderly mother, was constantly afraid.

Lawyers Franco Debono and Angie Muscat were defence counsel, while Inspector Jonathan Ransley prosecuted.