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.