Two former Lidl supermarket employees yesterday admitted stealing some €3,000 worth of groceries before selling them to another man.

Clayton Spiteri, 26, from Żabbar, and Dario Camilleri, 27, from Qrendi, took the items while working for the supermarket’s Santa Venera branch. The third man, Joseph Camilleri, 43, from Żabbar admitted handling stolen items.

During the arraignment yesterday, which was over within minutes, Magistrate Antonio Micallef Trigona placed Mr Spiteri and Mr Camilleri on probation for two years and ordered them to repay €1,500 each to the supermarket.

Mr Camilleri was conditionally discharged for 18 months.

In May, a further four former employees were charged with taking more than €140,000 worth of groceries by taking whole pallets in nightly raids over several months, before selling the goods.

A whole pallet of the energy drink Red Bull together with M&Ms chocolates worth some €700 were just some of the items taken before discrepancies in sales were noticed by the supermarket’s warehouse bosses in Sicily, a court heard.

Three of the employees – Roderick Garcia, 28, of Cospicua, Andrea Buzza, 23, of Gudja, and Sammy Piscopo, 23, of Fgura – pleaded not guilty to stealing the items last year, while the fourth, David Abela, 27, of Cospicua, admitted to the charge.

Two shop owners – Darren Xuereb, 30, from Iklin, and Joseph Vella, 41, from Naxxar – were also charged with handling stolen property. Mr Vella decided to register an admission.

A seventh man, Sandro Vella, 41, from Marsascala, was charged with supplying the first men with the tools to commit the crime.

The case continues.