Jailed for drug possession

Vincent Cucciardi, 42 of Senglea was yesterday sent to jail for a year after pleading guilty to being in possession of drugs in September 2000, and relapsing.

The court, presided by Magistrate Consuelo Scerri Herrera, noted that Cucciardi had chosen to plead guilty on October 4, but having pleaded guilty so late in the case in no way helped to speed up the case.

The court also noted that Cucciardi had been found guilty nine times, and his convictions included theft, voluntary damage and a traffic offence. For these offences he had been conditionally discharged, fined, and given a suspended jail term as well as a prison term. But the accused still had not learnt anything because he was again before the courts, facing serious charges of drug possession, the court said.

Inspector David Saliba prosecuted.