Pair to be electronically tagged in first for Malta
The condition was part of bail conditions after the pair appealed a jail sentence for theft
A man and a woman are set to be subject to electronic tagging in a first for Malta.
The pair agreed to the measure as part of bail conditions after appealing a jail conviction for theft.
Judge Consuelo Scerri Herrera ordered the Local Enforcement System Agency (LESA) to monitor Nicky Falzon and Daniela Spiteri via electronic tagging to ensure the court has “peace of mind” that they are abiding by bail conditions.
The conditions include a curfew and protection order preventing them from approaching the victim.
Earlier this year, Falzon, 27, from Mellieħa, and Spiteri, 43, from St Julian’s, were found guilty of stealing a woman’s bag from a beach while she was swimming and then breaking into her car. They were also found to be living a vagrant lifestyle.
Falzon was jailed for two years and Spiteri for three years by Magistrate Marseann Farrugia, after she heard how police received a report from a woman who said someone had broken into her parked car at the Ta’ Xbiex Marina.
The woman said she had gone swimming and, upon returning, realised her bag was missing. Inside were her mobile phone and car keys. When she went to her car, she found it unlocked and her other bag missing.
The couple were charged in court and convicted. They appealed the decision and requested bail pending the appeal before Scerri Herrera. She granted them bail subject to a range of conditions, including a €1,000 deposit and a personal guarantee of €5,000.
They must not leave their residences between 8pm and 8am, must sign daily at their local police station, and must not approach the victim. She also ordered their electronic tagging.
The new law allowing criminal offenders to be fitted with an electronic tracking device came into force on January 19.
The law, known as the Electronic Monitoring Act, allows for electronic monitoring as an alternative to imprisonment in certain cases when offenders are sentenced to less than a year in prison. It will also be used to enforce conditions of release or supervision.
The law places responsibility for fitting electronic tags and carrying out monitoring with LESA. The movements of those fitted with a tag will be monitored 24/7 from a central control room.
Lawyers Nicholas Mifsud and Nicole Falzon represented the accused.