Resourceful thief remanded in custody after steal fuel from petrol station

The young man, who suffers from drug addiction, said he needed help and would be pleading guilty 

A 23-year-old man from Santa Venera has been remanded in custody for stealing fuel from a petrol station in Marsa on a number of occasions. 

Antoine Ellul, who is unemployed, but “helps out” a carpenter, was charged in court on Wednesday with stealing fuel, along with another person, from Cini Petrol Station in Triq Aldo Moro in Marsa on two separate occasions in June. 

He was also charged with a botched attempt at stealing fuel from the same petrol station on another occasion. attempting to steal fuel, as well as the theft of various items from a residence in Santa Venera in May. 

The crimes were committed while he was serving a suspended sentence handed down by the courts in August 2017. 

The method employed by Ellul to steal the fuel consisted of sticking a piece of tape onto a €20 note which was entered into the fuel dispensing machine. 

Once the sale was registered, Ellul and his accomplice would fill jerry cans with the fuel and use the tape to pull the €20 note back out of the machine. The process was repeated several times. 

Magistrate Claire Stafrace Zammit, presiding over the court of magistrates, noted that Ellul had not kept in touch with his probation officer, despite serving a suspended sentence for another crime. 

As a result, the accused was told that his previous case would have to be opened. 

Ellul admitted to not having kept in contact with his probation officer, adding that he was on a waiting list for a rehabilitation programme for drug abuse. 

The magistrate said she would rather handle both cases together especially since she would like to hear from Ellul’s probation officer before sentencing him. 

“It’s up to you to see what you are going to do. I suggest that you make contact with your probation officer between now and the 25 June and we will take it from there,” the magistrate told the youngster. 

Ellul pleaded guilty and made no request for bail and was remanded in custody. 

Inspectors Elliot Magro and Robert Vella prosecuted. 

Simon Micallef Stafrace was legal aid.