Sicilian jailbird imprisoned again for burglary

Sicilian drug trafficker Massimo Caruso will be returning to prison shortly, after he was found guilty of having burgled a San Gwann residence in 2010.

Caruso, 43, was found guilty of having stolen €17,000 worth of jewellery and €600 in cash on that occasion. Police investigating the case, which had gone cold, requested the magisterial inquiry be reopened in 2012 and that fingerprints recovered from the scene be compared with those of Caruso.

Summoned before the court, Caruso had denied any involvement in the burglary, but after being made to submit his fingerprints for analysis, it was established that his right thumbprint had, in fact, been found inside the burgled home.

The burglar appeared before Magistrate Joe Mifsud in April last year, where he pleaded guilty to the charges.

Magistrate Mifsud delivered a comprehensive sentence, delving into the definition of theft used by the Maltese courts, the aggravating factors of the case at hand and referring to previous case law. He found the crime to be aggravated by value, means and the perpetrator's previous convictions.

Caruso is no stranger to the Corradino Correctional Facility, having been jailed twice before – in 2008 and 2010, the latter of which was a suspended sentence.

Quoting Republic of Malta vs Noel Frendo, the court held that the simple fact that a person's behaviour was conditioned by his drug addiction did not excuse his actions or reduce his culpability.

“The court has no hesitation in condemning the accused to a custodial sentence which reflects the serious nature of his crimes, his relapsing, but also the progress shown by the accused in overcoming his addiction.”

The court handed Caruso a four-year jail term, during which he will receive treatment for his drug problems.

He was also ordered to pay €1,105 in costs.