Man registers stolen phones 'on wife and daughter'

A Valletta man charged with stealing mobile phones during a hold-up was tracked down when the police traced three of the stolen phones as registered on his name, his wife's and his daughter's.

Police Inspector Carmelo Magri told Magistrate Anthony Vella that when the stolen phones were traced to Francis Cuschieri and his relatives, Cuschieri denied stealing them and said he had given his wife and daughter a phone as a present.

Inspector Magri was testifying in the compilation of evidence against Cuschieri, 33, who is pleading not guilty to carrying out a hold-up at Hi-Tech, in Qormi on August 21, 2003, and relapsing. The officer explained that on the day of the hold-up David Debattista filed a police report saying that a man on a motorcycle had pulled up in front of his shop. The armed man entered the shop, asked for money and took off with mobile phones and a camera.

An anonymous informer told the police Cuschieri had carried out the hold-up. The police then investigated the serial numbers of the stolen phones and found that three had been registered with Go Mobile on Cuschieri's name and his relatives.

The case continues.

Police Inspectors Magri and Chris Pullicino are prosecuting.

Dr Martin Fenech is appearing for Cuschieri.