A mobile phone thief was caught thanks to a tracking app installed on the device that allowed police to track him down within hours. 

Police zeroed in on Carmel Schembri, a 55-year old waste management worker from Żurrieq, as the suspect behind the aggravated theft that took place along the Qui Si Sana seafront on Friday afternoon between 2:00pm and 3:45pm.

They began their investigation after a man reported that his two iPhones and wallet had been stolen. One of the devices had a tracking application installed that allowed the owner to track it when it was switched on, he told the police. 

Soon enough, that app indicated that the phone was in Żurrieq. 

Officers headed to the area and spotted Schembri there. Though familiar within police circles, he was not identified as the suspect at that point. 

However, police returned to the same area a second time and noticed a clear correlation between Schembri’s movements and those of the phone, as displayed on the tracking app.

That was when they moved in to arrest the suspect thief, prosecuting Inspector Jessica Bezzina explained in court on Saturday. 

Schembri immediately admitted to the theft charge, aggravated by the value of the items stolen.  

When making submissions on punishment, his lawyer Franco Debono pointed out that the man had just undergone drug rehabilitation but evidently needed more help to overcome his problem.

Supervision by a probation officer would doubtlessly help the accused to stick to the right path, said the lawyer, pointing out that Schembri had a fixed job and had registered an admission at the earliest stage. 

The prosecution confirmed that the accused had cooperated and that the stolen items had been returned to the owner. 

In light of those submissions the court, presided over by magistrate Natasha Galea Sciberras, handed down a one-year jail term suspended for two years and a two-year supervision order. 

Lawyer Marion Camilleri was also defence counsel.