Supermarket butcher convicted of stealing thousands of euros worth of meat

An employee at a supermarket butcher’s shop has been handed a suspended sentence after he was found guilty of stealing thousands of euros worth of meat.

Mark Anthony Borg, 46, from Ta’ Xbiex, was sentenced to 18 months in prison, suspended for three years after he was convicted of the theft.

Magistrate Josette Demicoli had heard how Borg, whose job it was to deliver meat from the supermarket stores, would drop off boxes of meat at his parent’s house.

After noticing stock shortfalls, his boss had installed data trackers in the van and set up a surveillance operation that had caught Borg in the act.

It was proven that Borg had loaded extra boxes of meat in his van on three separate occasions and had taken them for himself.

The precise value of the stolen goods was difficult to establish as while Borg admitted to stealing €2,300 worth of meat, his employer claimed the losses stood at €35,000.

But the court also noted that when Borg’s employer had filed the police report, he had declared the value of the items stolen at €28,000, alleging a theft at €400 worth of meat per day.

Although it was suspected that he had stolen boxes of meat every time he worked, the court said it was not necessarily the case.

What was certain, however, was that on May 22 2012, the police had seized a box of Goedegebuur brand meat from a residence at Ta’Xbiex.

Borg was found guilty of theft aggravated by value and sentenced to 18 months imprisonment suspended for three years.

Superintendent Robert Vella and Inspector Darryl Borg prosecuted.  

Lawyer Kathleen Grima was defence counsel to Borg.