Suspended jail term for stealing electricity

A Zurrieq man, of Libyan origin, was yesterday given a one-year suspended jail term for stealing electricity from a street lamp in his hometown.

Magistrate Giovanni Grixti heard how Abdul Baset Dabia, 37, connected his home electricity supply to a street lamp and used the electricity on a daily basis - when the street lamp was switched on in the evenings.

Mr Dabia was charged with stealing a stereo and cable TV decoder from his father-in-law's house, stealing a stereo from a car, stealing electricity and breaching the conditions of a previous release in February 2004.

The magistrate noted that the police had failed to prove that Mr Dabia had stolen from the house or the car and that he had been previously released by another court.

Magistrate Grixti thus only convicted him of the theft of electricity to the detriment of Enemalta.

Police Inspector Walter Spiteri prosecuted.