Guilty of stealing gold necklace

A woman was yesterday given a one-year jail term suspended for three years for stealing a gold necklace worth over Lm300 and her husband was jailed for one year for handling the stolen jewellery.

Magistrate Jacqueline Padovani gave Victoria Ebejer a suspended jail term because, unlike her husband Stephen Galli, she had a clean criminal record.

The magistrate heard how on April 7, 2002, the police had been informed that a necklace had been stolen from a Valletta jewellery. Footage from a close circuit television camera in the shop directed the police to Mr Galli, 41, and his wife Ms Ebejer, 30.

The magistrate put Ms Ebejer under the care of a probation officer for three years and recommended that Mr Galli attend a drug rehabilitation programme while serving time.

Police Inspector Geoffrey Azzopardi prosecuted.