Jailed for handbag robbery

A man was yesterday jailed for 30 months after he admitted to robbing a woman of her handbag five years ago.

Silvio Buttigieg, 32, of Cospicua was charged with breaking into Knights Bar and Restaurant in Paola on April 6, 2000 and stealing over Lm100 worth of items when the nature of the theft was qualified by means, time and value.

He was also charged with stealing Anna Scerri's bag during a snatch and grab and relapsing.

Magistrate Consuelo Scerri Herrera heard Mr Buttigieg plead guilty to stealing Ms Scerri's bag and stealing from the bar. However, when it came to the theft from the bar, he limited his guilty plea to theft qualified by means and time.

In a statement to the police Mr Buttigieg explained how he broke into the bar with third parties and they stole 12 bottles of alcohol which they then sold for about Lm55.

He said that he suspected that after they stole the alcohol one of his friends went back to steal more. The magistrate ruled that the prosecution had failed to prove the element of value, as it failed to prove that the items stolen were worth over Lm100.

On handing down judgment the magistrate noted that Mr Buttigieg had been found guilty of 12 crimes between 1990 and 1999 and that, in light of the circumstances, she felt a jail term was appropriate.

Police Inspector Angelo Caruana prosecuted.