Man admits to using stolen cheques

A 24-year-old man has been placed on probation after he admitted to having stolen cheques and fraudulently making use of them to finance his drug problem.

Dillon Kenneth Junior Bartolo pleaded guilty to charges of falsification of documents, aggravated theft, misappropriation and fraud, after stealing a number of cheques from a Tigne home and making use of them.

In his considerations on punishment, magistrate Joseph Mifsud noted that Bartolo had a serious drug problem. “The court understands that it may be true that this case originated from a moment of weakness that possessed the accused. But the court cannot ignore the fact that the accused appears to be in the grips of drug addiction. This court has always done all it could to help those who, like the accused, appeared before it with this serious problem and always gave every opportunity to allow victims of drugs to be healed from this vice. This court did so when it was convinced that the person before it truly and genuinely wanted to break free of this problem and showed goodwill and trustworthiness.”

The court said a prison sentence would not be the best outcome in this case and wanted to give the young man a chance to reform.

Bartolo was placed on probation for three years, during which time he would also be following a treatment order.


He was ordered to repay the €150 he misappropriated within six months.