Bell ringer cleared of stealing items from churches

A bell ringer, who was underage when interrogated and is now 23, was cleared of stealing items from churches. He was being accused of stealing antique items when he was a teenager and trying to sell one particularly expensive item on the website Maltapark.

The youth has been acquitted of all charges, mainly the robbery of an 18th-century wooden pedestal worth €2,500 and four wooden candleholders worth less than €2,000.

He had said in court that he had taken the pedestal to restore it, as it had been broken. Magistrate Claire Stafrace Zammit said that the youth was arraigned when he was 21 but the items had been taken eight years earlier.

She said this meant that by law, he could not be found guilty as the charge of theft had been time barred by two years. The man was accused of having stolen an 18th-century wooden pedestal worth some €2,500 from the Annunciation Church in Tarxien and eight wooden candlestick holders from St Dominic Church in Valletta, with a value of under €2,000. He was also accused of handling stolen property.

The name of the accused cannot be published because he was less than 18 years old when such crimes were committed. Police Inspector Spiridione Zammit had said the investigation started after two helpers at the Tarxien church noticed that the pedestal, which was stolen two years previously, was listed for sale on MaltaPark for €500.

The police had also searched the home of the accused and confiscated his computer. The pedestal and candleholders were found, along with frames from another theft.

The youth had offered various explanations of how he came across the items, but eventually said that he stole the pedestal while ringing the bells during the village feast. He restored it and then decided to sell it.

He had also admitted stealing the candleholders from the sacristy of St Dominic's Church while he was also there to ring bells for the feast.

He claimed he bought the frames. The accused pleaded not guilty throughout the case.