Repeat offender jailed six years for St Paul’s Bay burglary

A man with a sprawling 50-page criminal record has been sentenced to six years in prison after being found guilty of a break-in and burglary at the Eurostretcher outlet in St Paul’s Bay.

The theft occurred during the night between 12 and 13 November 2020, when the shop was closed. An employee arriving the following morning found the door open, the lock damaged and the premises in disarray. Police were alerted at around 8am, with responding officers noting forced entry, broken glass, blood stains and extensive disturbance inside the shop.

The owners reported that €950 in cash and €3,325 in merchandise had been stolen, along with two CCTV decoders and a hard drive worth €900, a €700 Acer laptop, a €900 Samsung mobile phone and shopping trolleys valued at €1,000. Additional damage included a television worth €350 and shelving worth €150. The total value of stolen items was calculated at €8,135.75.

Although CCTV footage from nearby sources showed individuals exiting a dark vehicle during the relevant hours, neither faces nor the vehicle’s registration number could be identified. The shop’s own CCTV system had been disabled, with its decoders stolen during the burglary.

The case against Matthew Camilleri rested primarily on forensic evidence. Multiple blood samples collected from inside the premises – including near the entrance, along a corridor, by the storage room and on a fridge door – were analysed by a forensic expert, who concluded that four samples matched Camilleri’s DNA profile. The court rejected defence claims of possible contamination, noting the laboratory’s accreditation and the absence of evidence supporting such allegations.

While no usable fingerprints linked Camilleri to the scene, experts testified that some marks were unsuitable for comparison and others indicated glove use. The court held that the absence of fingerprints did not weaken the case, given the strength of the DNA evidence and the lack of any legitimate explanation for the accused’s presence inside the closed shop.

Police testimony also referred to an exchange with Camilleri while he was in custody. After initially giving a false alibi, he allegedly admitted that others had been involved in the burglary and offered to identify them in exchange for probation. When informed no such guarantee could be made, he declined to continue cooperating and asked to be returned to his cell “so he could continue watching Netflix”. The court deemed the statement admissible and interpreted it as an admission of participation.

Camilleri was found guilty of theft aggravated by means and value, voluntary damage, breaching bail conditions in two separate cases and recidivism. He was acquitted of charges relating to committing the offence during a probation period, as well as an alternative charge linked to handling stolen goods.

In sentencing, the court highlighted Camilleri’s long-standing pattern of offending, describing him as a repeat offender who had failed to reform despite prior opportunities. It concluded that only a custodial sentence was appropriate.

In addition to the six-year prison term, the court ordered the confiscation of bail guarantees totalling €20,000, restitution of €8,135.75 to the victim and payment of €2,435.53 in expert costs.

RSS Feed Source: Independent Malta Repeat offender jailed six years for St Paul’s Bay burglary