A man was handed a suspended sentence upon admitting to theft-related charges after incriminating footage had put investigators on his tracks.

Anees Badroush, a 28-year old Libyan national residing at Floriana, was targeted by criminal prosecution after CCTV footage had enabled police to identify him as the suspect who had attempted to withdraw funds from two ATMs by making use of a stolen bank card.

During Monday’s arraignment prosecuting Inspector Daryl Borg explained how it had all began with a report filed in June about an alleged robbery from a Floriana residence.

Shortly afterwards, the woman who had reported the theft received a call informing her that someone had tried to withdraw funds from her bank account, allegedly using her missing credit card.

CCTV footage had put investigators on the tracks of the suspect. A search inside his residence had yielded a hair dryer, one of the items reported missing in the robbery. The other stolen items were not recovered, the court was informed.

The man was today charged with having knowingly received stolen goods and with two separate instances of attempted theft by trying to withdraw funds from the ATM of a bank branch in Floriana and another in Valletta.

Upon the accused’s own admission, the court, presided over by magistrate Gabriella Vella, declared him guilty and condemned him to a 6-month jail term suspended for one year.

Lawyer Jason Grima was defence counsel.