Jailed for breaking into elderly woman's house

A Zejtun man was jailed for five years for trying to break into a Sliema house armed with a penknife when there was a bed ridden elderly woman inside.

Magistrate Giovanni Grixti found Mario Camilleri, 35, guilty of trying to break into the house, causing damage to the door and being in possession of the penknife on August 14, 2004.

He was also found guilty of disobeying the police and relapsing.

Magistrate Grixti heard how Mr Camilleri had been apprehended by the police after they were informed about the presence of two suspicious men lurking outside a house where four elderly people lived.

When officers arrived on site they noticed a man and when they approached him he ran away. The police gave chase, caught up with Mr Camilleri and found that he was in possession of a penknife.

The police later learnt that the lock of the house had been damaged and that, at the time, there was an 86-year-old bed ridden woman inside.

The other three elderly people who lived with her had been at Mass.

Police inspectors Anthony Portelli and Stephen Gatt prosecuted.