Jewellery thief gets five more years for fraud

Jewellery thief Glenn Debattista, currently serving time for a 2011 robbery, was convicted on a €1 million fraud of two car dealers, and sentenced to five years' imprisonment.

Debattista had signed a five-year agreement with Raymond Cortis of Cortis rent-a-car in 1999 on the management of the company's rental licences, where Debattista was given Cortis's identity card to facilitate the signing of documents on vehicle purchases.

After five years, Cortis was bought out by Debattista's father, and resigned as director of the car hire company.

Between 2001 and 2003, Glenn Debattista purchased nine cars from Rohan Motors Ltd, amounting to €122,525, and a further 55 from Michael Debono Ltd for €750,966. When Debattista fell back on payments, the companies demanded a repayment programme. But Debattista was presenting himself as Raymond Cortis, using a photocopy of Cortis's ID card.

When a second repayment programme was not honoured, the two companies filed for damages against Cortis. It later resulted that it was Debattista who had defrauded them of over €1 million.

Debattista admitted to the charges of forgery to the police.

Magistrate Doreen Clarke said the accused had already been found guilty of similar crimes. "Your criminal record is alarmingly voluminous," she said, before sentencing him to five years' imprisonment and to pay €34,68 in court expert fees.

Debattista is currently serving a three-year jail term for his role in the 2011 heist at Piazza Antiques jewellers, in Valletta. His son Ryan, and a third accomplice Carmel Hartley, were also found guilty of partaking in the same heist. Jeweller George Tabone is currently undergoing court proceedings over charges of having received the stolen gold, after Debattista alleged that he had sold the loot to Tabone.

Hartley alleged his share was sold to another man, who has also been charged on similar charges.