Police display items recovered from cemetery thieves
The police have put on display a large number of items, stolen from cemeteries, which were recovered as part of investigations.
The items, mostly candle holders, crucifixes and gravestone decorations, are on display at police headquarters to enable owners to claim them. A queue of over 100 people formed outside police headquarters this morning to see the items. Families were being allowed in one at a time.
Earlier this month, a 40-year-old man was handed 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 pleaded guilty, was also ordered to pay €5,000 within six months to the organisation that owned the monument.
His conviction followed 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.
The Environmental Health Directorate, which is responsible for the management of the Addolorata, 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 improve security at Malta’s main cemetery.
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21 Comments
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Mr Charlie Grech
Jul 3rd 2011, 07:51
Those who committed these crimes should go to jail and made an example of. Future graveyard thieves will think twice.
Maria Vassallo
Jul 2nd 2011, 20:09
Well done, Malta Police.
Now return the stolen items to their rightful owners.
Jail the culprit/s for this grave sacrilege.
John Pace
Jul 2nd 2011, 19:27
So if all this stuff was found, then how come all of the accused are pleading not guilty? And how come who was found guilty is out on the streets?
The message from the Courts is clear, 'Go and try to do it better next time round so you don't get caught!'
Mr Joe Gatt
Jul 2nd 2011, 17:49
`A third person, , denied handling stolen property after he was allegedly found with nine bags full of crucifixes and other bronze ornamental items.`
This is a very Religeous Person, indeed ??
Victor Pulis
Jul 2nd 2011, 15:06
How are people wh steal from graves able to go home and sleep soundly? This also goes for judges who hand out suspended sentences in such cases.
Ms Rudi Mcbeal
Jul 2nd 2011, 14:36
Only in Malta. Nowadays there are times where I feel so ashamed to be Maltese. What is happenning to our society?
Patrick Sammut
Jul 2nd 2011, 18:42
Ms. Rudy, I guess you only read Maltese news than, can you please clarify to us which nation you prefer to Malta ? and which is free of stupid incidents ? Please dont mention the moon, since probably someone will also point out some nice incidents there too !
Good moaning !
Guy Mahoney
Jul 2nd 2011, 14:25
It is utter shame that there are still people with so little brain matter that desecrate graves and cemetries without showing a small ounce of respect towards those buried there and their loved ones who would have made sacrificies to decorate the graves.
So who should we as a society show respect to the perpetrators? Suspended sentences my bl....y foot!!! Spend taxpayers money to install security system might help the authorities to catch these people again, and again, true. But I am sure that the absolute majority of Maltese are good people with a good sense of respect for others and I am sure that most of use are CRYING OUT FOR STRICTER AND HARSHER PENALTIES BY THE COURTS!
This would also go a longer way to give credit to the work being done by our police force and other bodies.
NO LENIENCY PLEASE! The dirt of our country needs to be PUNISHED!!!
Mr Joseph N. Attard
Jul 2nd 2011, 13:12
There is a widespread feeling amongs the Maltese that the courts are too lenient. This may lead to the police losing heart in their job. This may also be due to the fact that our worst criminals are invariably in a position to get the benefit of the best legal minds available. Maybe it is time that the Honourable Courts start to take note of all this, and start handing out sentences which really deter further crime.
Mr Martin Cassar
Jul 2nd 2011, 15:20
'Maybe it is time that the Honourable Courts start to take note of all this, and start handing out sentences which really deter further crime. '
Incarceration costs money and take space in the prison and after all might not be deterrent. What about [burying a live] second time offenders for a period of 3-5 seconds in any of the graves they stole from? I am sure the smell inside the grave alone could serve them as a life-time deterrent and make potential culprits think twice.
Well done to the police.
S. Camilleri
Jul 2nd 2011, 12:47
Well done to the Police. Pity that court sentences will undo a lot of the time and effort put in by our forces! Suspended Sentences?? My foot!
Mrs Pauline Abela
Jul 2nd 2011, 12:40
Here I was, thinking that silly activities such as these were likely the result of kids/teenage pranksters not yet mature enough to understand the hurt caused to the families of the deceased. Don't people whose ages range from 24 to 57 have better things to do? Surely, they've lived long enough to realise that stealing second hand candleholders and the like is not about to make them rich but will merely cause untold grief to the relatives of those who have passed. I cannot understand how any sane and mature person would do this.
Mr Ivan Calleja
Jul 2nd 2011, 12:36
Prosit lill-Pulizija......sadanittant il-Qorti tkompli taghti suspended sentences!!
Mr Peter Murray
Jul 2nd 2011, 12:24
Great detective work and I bury these sacriligeous thieves in an unmarked grave.
Roderick Grech
Jul 2nd 2011, 16:32
I agree 100% with you!
A. Zammit
Jul 2nd 2011, 16:58
Persons who steal from graves are known as GHOULS!!!!
Mr James Tyrrell
Jul 2nd 2011, 12:09
What sort of person steals from graves? I mean you really need to be as low as they come to do such a thing. It's all very well recovering the items and in that regard well done to the police but the families are still left with hefty bills which at this time they can ill afford to get their loved one's graves put back in order. I would suggest that the people responsible should be made to pay for all the repair work even if that means selling everything they own and working for the rest of their lives just to pay for it. The very least we should be able to expect from society is that the dead are left to rest in peace
Eric Camilleri
Jul 2nd 2011, 12:45
What sort of person steals from graves?
The ones that are given suspended sentences !
The law is always in the favour of the criminal, even if proven guilty at court.
"Crime pays" and this message has long been a fact with the court's track record of sentences.
Mr Joseph Calleja
Jul 2nd 2011, 15:44
@Eric Camilleri
I agree with you 100%. The problem is and will always be the SUSPENDED SENTENCE. When are our politicians, our courts, our judges going to wake up to the fact that they are the cause of most of the crime in Malta? Stop pampering the guilty, stop the Suspended Sentence.
Mr James Tyrrell
Jul 2nd 2011, 19:23
Joseph and Eric I back you 100% on that call.
Joseph Borg
Jul 2nd 2011, 11:40
well done police!