Alleged stalker back in custody over theft

Convicted criminal Romeo Bone was yesterday remanded in custody again after he was charged with stealing a computer and in doing so breaching the conditions of a previous release.

Mr Bone, 35, of Floriana, was out on bail after having been accused of stalking the main witness, PC Mario Portelli, in the case against former police inspector David Gatt, when he allegedly took the computer on July 4, from the Radisson Blu Resort in St Julians.

He was also out on bail, granted to him in 2007, on another theft-related case.

Mr Bone is pleading not guilty to breaching the conditions of both previous releases and committing a crime during the operative period of a suspended jail term.

Mr Bone said he washed cars for a living and was also training to work with Arriva, although the bus company later denied this was the case.

Defence lawyer Joseph Giglio told the court his client had first to be found guilty of the theft before he could be found guilty of violating any bail conditions. He requested bail.

Police Inspector Anthony Portelli said that just looking at his criminal record showed that the accused was a repeat offender and this was not the first time he had broken the law. “He knew what he was doing and is certainly not a first-time offender”, he told the court.

Magistrate Claire Stafrace Zammit remanded Mr Bone in custody.

The case against Dr Gatt hit the headlines last December when he was charged over his alleged involvement in a number of crimes including the failed HSBC heist, the attempted theft on a bank security van in Sta Venera, the attempted hold-up on a jeweller in November and the €1m theft from the HSBC branch in Balzan.