Two charged with gold theft

A man and his girlfriend were charged with stealing about €3,000 worth of gold from her mother’s house.

Christian Bugeja, 36 of Birkirkara and Donna Stone, 18, of Cospicua, pleaded not guilty to stealing the jewellery from her mother’s house in Qormi.

Police sources said a couple stole the gold and sold it to a jeweller. Soon after, Mr Bugeja called the jeweller and asked him not to speak about the transaction. The jeweller became suspicious and asked the man who had sold him the gold to return to the shop.

The woman’s brother bumped into his sister and her boyfriend at the jeweller’s shop and became suspicious about the stolen jewellery and called the police.

Both Mr Bugeja and Ms Stone pleaded not guilty to relapsing. Mr Bugeja also pleaded not guilty to committing a crime in the operative period of a suspended sentence.

Magistrate Antonio Mizzi granted Ms Stone bail against a personal guarantee of €3,000 but remanded Mr Bugeja in preventive custody.

Police Inspector Sandra Zammit prosecuted.

Lawyer Simon Micallef Stafrace appeared for the accused as legal aid.