Man ordered to refund theft money

A man has been ordered to refund Lm1,928 he stole from a Lija petrol station in 1983.

Costantino Abela sued George Azzopardi claiming that Azzopardi and another person had held him up on November 19, 1983.

Azzopardi had driven into the petrol station on a motorbike, had shot at Abela and stolen Lm1,928 before driving off.

He called on the court to declare Azzopardi responsible for the theft and to order him to refund the money.

Mr Justice David Scicluna in the Civil Court learnt how Azzopardi had been identified by Abela and his son Victor.

Azzopardi's face was partially covered, but Abela recognised him when he entered the petrol station and shouted that he was going to fire his sawn-off shotgun.

Azzopardi denied involvement in the hold-up and declared that he was watching a film at the Roxy Cinema in Birkirkara.

But the court-appointed expert who heard the evidence concluded that Azzopardi had been identified by both Abela and his son Victor and that Azzopardi had produced no evidence to substantiate his alibi. Mr Justice Scicluna upheld the conclusions reached by the expert and declared that Azzopardi was one of the two persons who had held up the petrol station.