Court gives addict one last chance to reform

A court has given a drug addict from Qormi, who was found guilty of making use of fake €100 notes, a last chance to avoid prison after being told that he had demonstrated a commitment to change his ways.

Magistrate Consuelo Scerri Herrera had heard how Darren Mizzi, 33, had used fake €100 notes on two separate occasions in June 2013.

Mizzi had bought a heart-shaped wreath and a Vodafone card with one fake note before proceedings to a bar where he had used the other €100 bill to purchase soft drinks and cigarettes.

Both shopowners noticed that the banknotes were smoother than regular banknotes and contacted the police, suspecting them to be fakes. Mizzi was subsequently arrested.

The accused had released a statement to the police explaining that he was a drug addict and had bought drugs, together with the fake banknotes – at €35 each.

He claimed not to have been aware that the money he had used that day was not legal tender, as he had received a cash refund of some  money which he had deposited in court in connection with another case.

A probation officer told the court that Mizzi appeared to be making a genuine attempt to turn his life around and attend a residential drug rehabilitation programme.

The court was told that Mizzi could not start the programme immediately as his current methadone dose exceeded 50 millilitres and bringing his usage down to this level would take two months.

The magistrate noted that Mizzi had several previous convictions, including convictions for theft and living off prostitution, but gave him one last chance, handing down a one-year custodial sentence suspended for three. He was placed under a supervision order for three years and ordered to reimburse the two shop owners.