Bounced cheque earns man a suspended sentence

A court has handed a man, who admitted that he had tried to pay for a consignment of drinks with a worthless cheque, a one-year prison sentence, suspended for three years.

The case began in 2010, when David Grech, today 34 years old, had taken delivery of some €6,027 worth of whisky and wine from NM Arrigo Limited. Grech had paid for the consignment with a cheque linked to a BOV account that he knew was no longer open. The supplier had gone to the police when the bank dishonoured the cheque.

A representative of the bank had testified that, at the time the cheque was written, the account had been changed from an overdraft account into a loan, before eventually being transformed into a bad debt account in March 2011.

Inspector Maurice Curmi charged Grech with fraud and misappropriation. Grech opted for summary proceedings and admitted to the charges.

Magistrate Carol Peralta handed the man a suspended sentence, also ordering him to pay the balance of €6,027 within six months.