Identity thief spared jail after second court finds procedural errors
Woman guilty of identity theft and fraud gets reduced sentence after appeals court orders retrial
A woman who was originally jailed for fraud and identity theft has avoided prison on appeal, after a court found procedural errors in her original case.
Natasha Bugeja was originally sentenced to 18 months in prison for having used the identity of a relative to open contracts with Melita, rent vehicles and transfer driving penalty points to her victim’s licence.
She appealed that verdict and a court of appeal found grounds to nullify that October 2024 judgement and send the case back to the lower court to be heard afresh by a different magistrate.
Bugeja emerged from that second trial with a substantially reduced sentence. Instead of jail time, she was given a one-year suspended sentence.
While the court confirmed Bugeja was guilty of fraud with regard to Melita and making false declarations in non-public documents, it acquitted her of charges related to forgery, false declarations to a public authority and breaching bail conditions, citing an absence of proof and procedural gaps by prosecutors.
The second trial found that prosecutors had failed to present a handwriting expert to confirm that the accused was the person who filled in the fraudulent forms. It also relied heavily on police statements without summoning the authors of those statements to testify under oath.
The court therefore ruled that Bugeja should serve a one-year jail term, suspended for two years. It confirmed a three-year protection order in favour of the identity theft victim.
Inspector Antonello Magri led the prosection. Bugeja was represented by defence lawyers Franco Debono, Adreana Zammit and Mathew Xuereb.
Magistrate Gabriella Vella presided over the case.