Homeless Maltese men charged with shoplifting booze

Two homeless men have been remanded in custody after being charged, in separate arraignments, with stealing alcohol from a shop in Qormi.

30-year-old Andre Borg had been arrested in connection with the theft of alcohol from a Qormi cash and carry on 14 December. 

After he was eventually traced by the police, Inspector Borg arraigned Borg this morning before magistrate Charmaine Galea. 

Borg's alleged accomplice, 25 year-old Clayton Fenech, is already the subject of separate proceedings relating to the theft. 

In a sitting on 23 December, police inspector Kylie Borg had told the court how she had immediately recognised Fenech from CCTV footage of the theft, in which over €400 worth of alcohol had been stolen.  

During their respective hearings, both Borg and Fenech informed the court that they were homeless and unemployed.

They pleaded not guilty to charges of aggravated theft, handling stolen goods, breaching a probation order and recidivism.

Defence lawyer Albert Zerafa declared that bail would not be requested at this stage. 

The court upheld a defence request for Borg to be detained at the Forensic Unit due to his drug dependency.