Sicilian thieves get a reduced jail term

Two Sicilian tourists convicted over theft from hotel rooms, had their 10-month jail term reduced to four months after an Appeals Court heard they had returned the stolen items. They ahd previously pleading guilty to charges of theft.

In the appeal, defence counsel Joseph Ellis, stated the accused collaborated with the authorities and apologised for their actions. Some of the stolen items were returned and the young offenders deposited €2,000 at court to make up for the items which were not recovered. The money was handed to the prosecution to reimburse the victims. The lawyer argued the Sicilians had all the necessary prerequisites to benefit from a suspended sentence, yet they were handed an effective jail term. "A jail term was not the ideal punishment for such a folly of youth," Dr Ellis held. 

Mr Justice Antonio Mizzi, upheld the decision of the Court of Magistrates in finding the two youths guilty of theft and handling stolen property, but changed the punishment from 10 months imprisonment to a jail term of four months each.

Walter Rapisarda, 23 and Dario Drago, 27, had admitted to stealing from two rooms at the Alexandra Hotel, in St Julian's while on holiday in Malta in August this year. Prosecuting inspector Trevor Muscat said in court that two mobile phones, an iPad, an iPod and €750 in cash were reported stolen from a hotel room. However, only the phones and €515 were recovered from the two Sicilians. The theft happened when the two had only been on the island for one day. Rapisarda and Drago were arrested after CCTV cameras caught them loitering in the vicinity of the hotel.

Inspector Trevor Muscat prosecuted.