Couple jailed over theft

Sandro Mifsud, 39, and Elaine Muscat, 30, were both handed a jail term after being convicted of theft and soliciting for prostitution, back in 2011.

Mifsud has no fixed address while Muscat lives in St Paul’s Bay. They faced charges of theft, and breaching terms of a conditional discharge. Muscat was further accused with soliciting for prostitution.

Police officer George Pollidano, told the court how a certain Joseph Camilleri reported to the police that he had parked his vehicle and went to buy a packet of cigarettes.

While shopping, he noticed a man stealing his wallet from his car but he managed to retrieve it after chasing the culprit..

However, from the witness stand, the victim recounted a different story. He recalled how in April 2011 he saw Muscat at Marsa and assumed she was soliciting for prostitution.

He signalled to her and she got into the car and the two reached a secluded spot. “I did not have sex with her, but when she left she did so in a hurry. I realised something was wrong and noticed that my wallet was missing. She fled the scene in another car but I drove after them and stopped them at Pieta. I recovered everything – I had about €600 in cash and €11,830 in cheques. They asked me for €20 to tow their car and I gave it to them”, he said.

The victim added that he forgave he accused because , “in the past I had my bad moments as well, and I understand what they’re going through”.

The accused Sandro Mifsud, contradicted the victim’s version. He claimed that he was shopping with his girlfriend Elaine Muscat when he saw Camilleri eying her. He kept going to his lawyer’s office and when he came out he saw his girlfriend running towards him.

“She told me that Camilleri had offered her money in exchange of sexual favours. We’re low on cash so she accepted – he also offered her drugs. He chased us up to Pieta, then rammed my vehicle”, the accused claimed.

In the past Joseph Camilleri had given the police statements against Mifsud and his version was corroborated by co-accused Elaine Muscat who also claimed that Camilleri had drawn a firearm against them when the chase stopped.

She called on the court to be lenient and allow her to start a drug rehabilitation programme. “When I was in jail, I got worse rather than better”, she said.

Magistrate Neville Camilleri ruled that the two accused were guilty of theft and committing an offence while under the terms of a conditional discharge.

Elaine Muscat was also convicted of soliciting for prostitution and relapsing. Sandro Mifsud was handed a 10 month jail term while Elaine Muscat was imprisoned for 12-months. The court called on the Director of Prisons to offer the necessary help to the two accused to support them in kicking their drug habit.