Marsa man accused of stealing €120,000 worth of antiques in two burglaries

38-year-old car dealer Keith Pace from Marsa has been accused of the burglary of residences in Mosta and Santa Venera in which some €120,000 worth of antiques were stolen. 

Valuables, jewellery and antiques worth around €100,000 were stolen last December from a house where a 70-year-old woman lived, the court, presided by magistrate Monica Vella, was told.

Pace was also accused of another burglary in Santa Venera in January, in which around €20,000 was stolen.

Inspector Shawn Pawney explained that the man was arrested after information reached police last week. A search of his home recovered some of the stolen items, he said. 

Pace was further charged with tampering with evidence, causing over €2,500 worth of damages, relapsing and committing a crime whilst on probation for another offence.

Localisation data placed him in the area of the thefts at the time said the inspector.

Pace pleaded not guilty to the charges and requested bail.

The accused was due to enter a residential drug rehabilitation program tomorrow at OASI, said his lawyer Franco Debono. The prosecution confirmed that OASI had contacted the police to inform them of this, as the man was already on bail.

Inspector Scerri opposed bail, pointing out that the program did not limit the movement or contain the accused. “We appreciate that he had applied for the program but in the meantime it emerges that he had committed a number of crimes.”

There were several civilian witnesses yet to testify, and the crimes had been committed whilst the accused was on probation.

Debono argued that if he left the program he would have breached bail conditions and would be liable for re-arrest.

The court, having heard submissions on bail, released the man from arrest against a deposit of €1,000 and personal guarantee of €5,000, ordering him to sign a bail book three times a week and to finish the OASI rehabilitation course.

He was warned that failure to complete the course would result in his arrest and the forfeiture of his bail bond.

Inspectors Shawn Pawney and Godwin Scerri prosecuted.

Lawyers Franco Debono and Amadeus Cachia were defence counsel.