19-year-old remanded in custody after stealing identity

19-year-old Daniele Aquilina was today remanded in custody by Magistrate Marsanne Farrugia.

With his expectant girlfriend and his mother at his side and accompanied by a police officer, the young offender had been waiting in the corridors of the deserted law courts since midday. However the duty Magistrate had two other arraignments to hear before his case.

Inspector Kyle Borg explained to the court that the investigation was kicked off after the police received a complaint. The complainant claimed he had received bills from mobile phone company GO despite never takeing out contracts with the company. In addition he had previously reported his ID card as stolen.

Investigations led the police to Aquilina and during a search in his residence the police found three stolen identity cards and the mobile phone mentioned in the contract.

One of the ID Cards found at the youth's home, belonged to a woman and had been used to draw a contract with another company. The woman was oblivious to this.

Defence lawyers Joseph Gatt and David Camilleri, requested bail claiming the prosecution's case was safe as investigators had CCTV footage showing the accused at the GO outlet.

Furthermore Aquilina had released and signed his police statements. The accused had a profitable job until two months ago and had only committed the crime because he was being blackmailed. "Surely we cannot keep a person in custody over a mobile phone," the defence held.

The prosecution objected to the request stating the youth had other ongoing criminal cases, was a relapser and had breached a Probation order.

Magistrate Marseanne Farrugia remanded Aquilina in custody in view of his police criminal record and the fear of tampering with evidence.