Young man who stole €54,000 from mother given suspended sentence

A young man from Birzebbugia has been handed a suspended sentence after he pleaded guilty to stealing €54,000 from his own mother.

19-year-old Kurt Aquilina, who told the court that he works in logistics, was arraigned before magistrate Charmaine Galea this morning accused of theft and fabricating evidence.

Inspectors Mario Xiberras and Roderick Attard said the accused had taken €54,000 in cash that his mother had hidden in a computer case and concealed it in a shoebox in his bedroom. He had only come forward after the police had arrested other people in connection with the theft.

The accused’s mother was also present in court. She took the witness stand after lawyer Simon Micallef Stafrace, legal aid informed the magistrate that she had forgiven her son.

From the witness stand, with tears in her eyes, the woman said that the money had been moved to a different place in the house. The family had gone through a difficult separation, she said. It would only destroy her son if she took things further.

The court said it took into consideration his early admission and the return of the stolen items. He was sentenced to two years imprisonment, suspended for three years. He was also placed under a supervision order and ordered to pay the costs of the criminal inquiry.

“You should be careful not to break the law, but in particular for the next three years or you will go to prison," said the magistrate.