58-year-old admits to injuring woman in botched copper theft

A Portuguese man has been sentenced after he admitted to slightly injuring a woman during a botched robbery.

58-year-old Aguinaldo Silva Seixas, from Portugal appeared in the dock before magistrate Doreen Clarke this afternoon, charged with attempt to steal items from a scrapyard and assaulting a woman who intervened to stop him.

Inspector Josric Mifsud told the court that Seixas was allegedly trying to pilfer copper from Disma Scrapyard in Kalkara yesterday afternoon, when he was stopped by a woman - thought to be a relative of the scrapyard’s owner - who he then assaulted. In addition to aggravated theft, he was also charged with slightly injuring the woman.

Seuxas, who lives in Marsaskala, was accused of stealing over €5,000 worth of materials in three thefts from the scrapyard. The charges were aggravated by value, place and means.

Seixas pleaded guilty as charged and was handed a two-year prison sentence, suspended for four.

Lawyer Patrick Valentino was legal aid to the accused.