Father makes moving claim for clemency, as court jails ‘problem-ridden’ son for 11 months

Magistrate Edwina Grima said today that she was "saddened"  to jail 30 year-old Kevin Camilleri of Sliema to 11 months in jail, five of them making good for a suspended jail term handed in April last year by another Magistrate.

She said that despite Camilleri's early admission to the charge of theft of €500 worth of tools from a car in Fgura last Monday, his cooperation with the police, and his willingness to make good for damages caused to the victim's car, she had no other alternative but to hand him an effective jail term.

Shortly before Camilleri was sentenced to six months in jail for the theft, and another five making effective a suspended jail term imposed last April by Magistrate Antonio Mizzi, the court accepted to hear the young man's father.

Camilleri's father approached Magistrate Grima's bench in tear's and sobbed throughout his submission, begging for clemency.

"My boy had problems, he has made enormous progress, but still needs help to overcome some of the problems he had. In fact when I asked him, why did you do it?...he told me he doesn't know. Kevin didn't steal to finance his habit...he just cannot justify why he did it," the father said.