Judge hands drug addict a chance to change his life

A drug addict on the mend was yesterday given a fighting chance by the Criminal Court of Appeal, which changed an 18-month jail term into a three-year probation period.

Renald Briffa had been found guilty of stealing machinery worth €7,000 from a factory in Ħal Far between March and April 2006. He had also been found guilty of handling stolen property and relapsing.

Mr Briffa appealed the 18-month jail term on two counts, the first that the Magistrates' Court had incorrectly appreciated the evidence and that he should not have been made to pay court expenses.

Mr Justice David Scicluna said that after taking into consideration all the evidence, the first court was correct to find him guilty of all the charges including relapsing. He also found that the first court was correct to charge him court expenses.

Despite both Mr Briffa's legal objections being dismissed, however, the court said that after considering the fact that Mr Briffa was following a drug rehabilitation programme and was making progress, he decided that a prison term was not ideal.

Taking the witness stand, Carmel Cremona, from Caritas, said the accused was in the Prisoner Improvement Programme and was going through a full rehabilitation programme from drugs.

Mr Justice Scicluna said he believed this was a turning point in Mr Briffa's life and this would help him to completely change his life around and so needed all the support he could get.

Thus, the judge changed the 18-month jail term into a three-year probation period.

Lawyers Josè Herrera and David Camilleri appeared for the accused.