Updated with arraignment at 12.05pm

A man who admitted to stealing cash from three catering establishments days ago was remanded in custody upon his arraignment on Thursday. 

Nicholai Azzopardi, a 36-year old jobless and homeless man, was escorted to court on New Year’s Eve, following his arrest on Wednesday evening as the prime suspect behind the three thefts. 

The first case dates back to the early hours of December 12, when an Attard restaurant was broken into and cash stolen. 

The following night, another break-in was reported from an Mrieħel cafeteria.

On December 28, another Mrieħel catering establishment was targeted in a similar break-in. 

In all three cases, the establishments were broken into and money was stolen from the cash registers.

The suspect was tracked down by police and taken to court on Thursday morning, pleading guilty to the aggravated thefts and also to voluntary damage to third party property. 

He was further charged with breaching the terms of a conditional discharge, handed down in September. 

The court, presided over by magistrate Nadine Lia, upheld a request by legal aid lawyer Joseph Bonnici, and not objected to by the prosecution, for a pre-sentencing report given the man’s personal situation. 

The accused was jobless and had been staying at a social shelter, but was battling a drug problem and had even sought help from Caritas. 

In fact, he had been attending meetings to overcome his addiction and had been given the go-ahead to join a rehabilitation programme in January, argued the man’s lawyer when making submissions on bail. 

However, the request for the accused to be released from preventive arrest, was turned down in view of the fact that he lacked a fixed address and had breached a conditional discharge granted three months ago.

The court deemed him as untrustworthy to abide by bail conditions and remanded him in custody pending judgment which is to be delivered in January. 

Inspectors Roderick Agius and Andrew Agius prosecuted.