Drug addict found guilty of second theft case in a week

Just last week, the man had been handed a three-year probation order after pleading guilty to rifling through swimmers' belongings at Golden Bay, stealing various items.

File photo.
File photo.

A drug addict has been jailed for 16 months after he pleaded guilty to stealing items from a parked car in Siggiewi.

27-year-old Freeport worker Roderick Tabone was handed a custodial sentence after Magistrate Doreen Clarke noted how the accused had spurned several past opportunities to address his drug problem.

Just last week, Tabone had been handed a three-year probation order after pleading guilty to rifling through swimmers' belongings at Golden Bay, stealing various items.

The accused had attended several drug rehabilitation programs but never completed them.

Previous conditional discharges and probation orders had proved ineffective. It was only through an effective prison term would the accused stand a chance of tackling this problem, said the court.

Tabone had admitted to having, on the 22nd May, stolen a pouch containing a chequebook and a multi-tool from the car, damaging the car and breaching the conditions of his probation order.

In its sentence, the court noted that Tabone had even continued to feed his drug habit while his pre-sentencing report was being compiled by his probation officer. 

The court handed the man a 16-month prison term, also recommending the prison authorities provide the necessary assistance in order to help the man fight his drug addiction.

Lawyers Franco Debono and Marion Camilleri were defence counsel.