New prison inmate's fingerprints link him to 2013 break-in, court told

Fingerprints taken from a man who was recently jailed for theft have landed him back in the dock, charged with the burglary of a house that took place in 2013.

47-year-old Uzbek national Zaynitdin Abdusalamov appeared before magistrate Doreen Clarke this morning, accused of having broken into an apartment in St. Julian's used by the director of an aviation marketing company.

He allegedly stole thousands of euros worth of jewellery and electronics.

The break-in took place late one night in March 2013. Scene of crime officers had found the burglar's fingerprints and had kept them on file, because no matches were found in the police's database.

Inspector Fabian Fleri explained that the Uzbek national had recently been sentenced to 15 months in prison by a Gozitan court for a separate theft. His fingerprints had been recorded upon his admission to the prison, as per normal procedure, and found to match those on file for the 2013 break-in.

The solitary charge was aggravated by the means employed by the burglar, the value of the items stolen, as well as the place and time at which the crime took place.

Abdusalamov, who told the court he is unemployed, pleaded not guilty to the charge. Lawyer Joe Ellis, appearing as legal aid for the accused, told the court that he would not be requesting bail in view of the defendant's circumstances.