An appeals court today reduced an 18-month jail term to a three-year probation period after it heard that the accused, Renald Barbara, was managing to overcome his drug addiction.

Mr Barbara had been jailed for stealing machinery worth €7,000 from VBP Malta Ltd in Hal Far, handling stolen property and relapsing.

In his appeal he pleaded that the lower court had wrongly considered the evidence and he should not have been made to pay court expert fees.

Mr Justice David Scicluna turned down both pleas but decided to reduce the prison term to three years probation on the basis of evidence by a Caritas official who explained that Mr Barbara was following at the Prisoner Improvement Programme which had 16 months to run. The programme led to full rehabilitation of drugs and Mr Barbara was doing well.

The court said it hoped this was a turning point for Mr Barbara and rather than a prison term, he should be supported to integrate himself in society.

The court warned Mr Barbara that if he violated the probation conditions, the court would come down hard on him.