Jewellery thieves end up behind bars

Two Italian men who stole almost €8,000 in jewellery from a sports science professor's apartment in 2006 have been jailed for five years.

Carmelo Castorina, 39, and Carmelo Ciranna, 31, broke into Gemma Cassar Van Vuuren's apartment on January 13, 2006 and made off with €7,850 worth of jewellery and other items. The two were arraigned separately after Mr Ciranna had cooperated with the police and agreed to testify against Mr Castorina.

Following the theft, an anonymous caller phoned the police and said two suspicious men were seen on the day in question outside the apartment. The caller even gave the police the registration number of the car they were driving.

The police traced Mr Castorina through the information given by the caller and were then led by other sources to Mr Ciranna.

At first the two men denied everything but the police examined the apartment and elevated finger prints that matched theirs, at which point Mr Ciranna confessed that he had broken into the property together with Mr Castorina and they split the loot.

On the strength of matching finger prints and Mr Ciranna's statement, Magistrate Audrey Demicoli found Mr Castorina guilty and handed down a three year jail term.

Mr Ciranna was found guilty by Magistrate Jacqueline Padovani and jailed for two years.