Man acquitted of gold theft from family member

A man was acquitted of the theft of gold jewellery after the court declared that the evidence brought against him had not been credible.

Magistrate Audrey Demicoli heard prosecuting inspector Joseph Mercieca say that Joseph Camilleri, 39 of Zebbug, was accused of having stolen various items of gold from the residence of his wife's grandmother Maria Concetta Cutajar, in Zejtun.

Mercieca had been investigating the accused on a separate case of theft, when Cutajar informed him that the accused had stolen from her residence but she had failed to report this. After the police spoke to Cutajar, the woman filed a report accusing Camilleri, for the theft of €4,679 in gold that had taken place six months earlier.

She also alleged that her niece Charlene Cutajar had told her that it was Camilleri who instructed her to steal the gold watches, necklaces and a number of earrings and pass them to him Camilleri in Valletta. Charlene held that her sister Ramona Cutajar, who was the accused's wife, had told her the whereabouts of the gold.

Taking the witness stand, Ramona Cutajar denied having had anything to do with the theft, while the grandmother told the police that no charges should be pressed against her niece Charlene Cutajar but only against Camilleri.

Camilleri, on his part, told the court he was at home with his wife Ramona when the grandmother called them saying that Charlene had stolen the gold. Camilleri said that at the tune he opined that the allegation should be reported Charlene's father, and denied to the court having instructed the girl to steal the gold.

In her decision, Magistrate Audrey Demicoli held that the prosecution's case relied on the witnessing of Charlene Cutajar, which conflicted, with that of the accused. When the court evaluated all the evidence produced, the Magistrate concluded that the prosecution did not prove the case against Joseph Camilleri beyond reasonable doubt, clearing him from all charges filed against him.