Suspended jail term as last chance to reform

Kevin Camilleri, 33, of Birkirkara was yesterday given an 18-month jail term suspended for three years and placed under a probation order after he was found guilty of forging a number of cheques to the tune of Lm1,883.

Camilleri was found guilty of stealing a chequebook to the detriment of Carmel Barbara and making fraudulent gain to the detriment of Barbara, APS Bank and Smart Supermarket.

The court said it resulted that Barbara had an attaché case stolen from his car after a window was smashed. The attaché case contained Lm1,200, a cheque book, ATM cards and other documents.

In spite of making a stop payment, six cheques, totalling Lm1,883 were cashed. Neither the handwriting nor the signature on the cheques were his, Barbara said.

Barbara said the accused's father gave him a number of post-dated cheques of Lm250 each to pay the Lm1,883.

It also resulted that Camilleri had falsified an ID card to be able to cash the cheques.

The court considered that the accused cooperated with the police and that he had started undergoing a residential drug rehabilitation programme with the OASI foundation.

The court considered that Camilleri had overcome his drug problem and had a job. He also had a steady relationship through which he had a child.

Magistrate Abigail Lofaro ruled it was opportune to give Camilleri one last chance to reform himself by handing down a suspended jail term.

Police Inspector Bernard Zarb prosecuted.