Suspended jail term and fine for cemetery thief

A 40-year-old man was given a 12-month jail term suspended for two years after pleading guilty to the theft of a monument from Santa Maria Addolorata Cemetery last November.

Jesmond Haidon, of Cospicua, who appeared in court on Saturday and pleaded guilty, was also ordered to pay €5,000 within six months to the organisation that owned the monument.

His conviction follows the arraignment of another three people on June 20.

Ronald Azzopardi, 24, of Żabbar and Joanne Ellul, 33, of Żejtun pleaded not guilty to stealing items from the Addolorata in May.

A third person, Emanuel Hayman, 57, of Fgura, denied handling stolen property after he was allegedly found with nine bags full of crucifixes and other bronze ornamental items.

Mr Azzopardi also pleaded not guilty to stealing similar items from the Gudja cemetery in April.

There has been a spate of thefts from the Addolorata with several families reporting missing bronze items from the tombstones of their loved ones. The thefts, and vandalism, are taking place at a time when the Environmental Health Directorate, which is responsible for the management of the cemetery, is in the process of issuing a call for tenders for the installation of closed circuit television cameras, one of the measures being implemented to increase security at Malta’s main cemetery.