A man who admitted a string of thefts from cars in Valletta and Floriana at the end of last month has been jailed for 30 months after a magistrate observed that he had ignored previous chances to rehabilitate himself. 

Ivan Galea, 48, unemployed of Valletta admitted to theft from six cars over a span of two weeks.

Prosecuting Inspector Daryl Borg told the court that Galea was identified on the strength of CCTV footage. A search of his residence turned up items reported to be stolen from the cars. 

Galea was also charged with wilful damage to third-party property and recidivism. 

Prosecuting Inspectors Gabriel Micallef and Daryl Borg said that the accused had quite a voluminous criminal record with five convictions between January 2014 and June 2021.

Although he had filed an admission, given his criminal record, the prosecution was calling for an effective prison term.

“He was given several opportunities to rehabilitate himself but he never took them,” pointed out Borg.

Legal aid lawyer Martin Farrugia explained that the accused was battling a drug addiction which had “landed him where he was today.” When meting out punishment, the court ought to address this problem so that the accused might get help to rehabilitate himself.

Magistrate Kevan Azzopardi asked the accused whether he had ever entered rehabilitation. Galea said that he had, “but never completed it in full.”

When delivering judgment Magistrate Azzopardi observed that although the accused had registered an early guilty plea, his criminal record could not be ignored. 

This was not his first brush with the law and he had wasted several chances given to him by the courts.

“Use the time you have in jail to stop your drug addiction once and for all,” advised the magistrate, as he condemned the accused to a two-and a half year jail term and placed him under a Treatment Order.

Inspectors Gabriel Micallef and Daryl Borg prosecuted.

Lawyer Martin Farrugia was legal aid counsel.