Man admits to theft charges

A 47-year-old man from Valletta has been remanded in custody pending sentencing after he admitted to theft charges.

Joseph Camilleri was arrested yesterday by police who were called to Floriana to deal with reports of theft.

Before magistrate Joe Mifsud, Camilleri was this morning charged with stealing an HTC mobile phone, credit and Tallinja cards, attempting to withdraw cash using the stolen cards, stealing tobacco and shaving blades from a shop and failing to observe bail conditions previously handed to him.

Lawyer Arthur Azzopardi entered a guilty plea on the man’s behalf. The man had recently left a Sedqa-run rehabilitation program and had just been discharged from hospital.

He needed treatment, said the lawyer, asking for a presentencing report to be drawn up. The lawyer added that the man was in the process of starting a new residential rehabilitation program with Caritas.

Bail was not requested pending the compilation of this report. 

Inspector Priscilla Caruana Lee prosecuted.