A man who stole a painting from the Ta Giezu Church in Rabat has been given a suspended jail term after he admitted to taking it out of anger against the Church.

Eric Sapiano, 43, from Sliema, told Magistrate Marseann Farrugia that he took, the painting out of rage since so much had happened to him in his life.

Mr Sapiano took the 1812 painting by Giuseppe Hyzler on Tuesday.

The police managed to identify him after the parish priest recognized him because he celebrated the funeral Mass of his father a short time before the incident. The identification was also helped by a parishioner who saw him taking the painting.

The magistrate jailed him for six months suspended for three years after taking into consideration his clean police record and he fact that it he painting had been returned.

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