Man pleads guilty to spate of thefts including six cars and a vending machine

A 33-year-old man from Floriana on Wednesday admitted to stealing a number of vehicles, tools and a vending machine over a two-week period.

Clive Agius appeared before magistrate Natasha Galea Sciberras, accused of stealing six cars, knowingly damaging four others, as well as stealing tools from another three vehicles, of being in possession of stolen items, associating with individuals with the intention of committing a crime and breaking his bail conditions.

Police inspector Arthur Mercieca told the court that upon being arrested, Agius has complied with the police and had admitted to a number of previous robberies. 

The inspector also noted that the majority of the items that were stolen had since been returned. 

Those items that had not been returned included the vending machine, which had been destroyed and dumped in the sea, as well as some tools and some of the vehicles. 

The unaccounted-for items could have been sold by the accused or his accomplices. 

The court heard how Agius was struggling with a drug addiction and had not respected previous bail conditions. Mercieca said that Agius had accepted that he had done wrong and was looking for help in combatting his addiction, which he blamed for his behaviour. 

Legal aid lawyer Ishmael Psaila stressed that the court needed to consider the fact that Agius had cooperated with the police, the fact that a number of items had been returned as well as the fact that he had not acted alone.

This, Psaila said, was of significance when considering that some of the items had not been returned. 

Furthermore, he requested that Agius be treated for his addiction as soon as possible. 

Magistrate Natasha Galea Sciberras recommended that he is sent to Mount Carmel for treatment, to which Agius replied that this would be pointless because “all you find there is people smoking synthetic and crawling around on the ground”.

Agius pleaded guilty to the charges against him and no request for bail was made. The court requested that a pre-sentencing report is drawn up by the next sitting.