Fined Lm500 for defrauding lotto receivers

A St Paul`s Bay man was yesterday fined Lm500 and put on probation for three years while his girlfriend was given a two-year jail term suspended for four years for defrauding several lotto receivers of a total of Lm2,500.

The 27-year-old man and his 25-year-old girlfriend, both of St Paul`s Bay, pleaded guilty to all charges brought against them.

They pleaded guilty to defrauding the lotto receivers and forging or making use of forged lotto tickets and two identity cards.

The man was also charged with relapsing.

On handing down judgement, Magistrate Consuelo Scerri Herrera noted that the couple made good for all the money defrauded and, therefore, society had suffered no financial loss.

She noted the woman`s clean criminal record and that the man`s criminal record showed that, in the past, he had been found guilty of crimes including theft and fraud.

Although the quantities stolen and defrauded where minor, this indicated that the man had pursued a criminal way of life. It was the Magistrates` Court`s duty to protect society from such abusive behaviour, the magistrate said.

Magistrate Scerri Herrera said that although she would have liked to give the man a suspended jail term, once the money was all paid back, the law did not allow it because it would mean suspending an axe above the man`s head.

For this reason she assigned a probation officer to monitor his behaviour and help him change his ways.

Police Inspector Joseph Cordina prosecuted.