Generous lawyer to the aid of tearful maid in theft case

A tearful maid yesterday admitted stealing €2,500 in cash from her employer nearly got a suspended jail sentence were it not for the intervention of a generous lawyer.

Rita Pulis, 36, of Żabbar, a first time offender, was saved in the nick of time by lawyer John Vassallo who managed to secure a three-year conditional discharge instead of a suspended jail term.

Dr Vassallo was not representing the accused but intervened pointing out that, perhaps, a conditional discharge was more appropriate seeing as it would give her the possibility to reform without having her criminal record blemished for life.

Police Inspector Jurgen Vella, prosecuting, was pressing for a suspended jail term on grounds that she was in a position of trust when she committed the crime.

The woman’s lawyer, Anne Marie Spiteri, argued that everyone made mistakes and her client had returned the money stolen.

The prosecuting officer retorted that the only reason she gave the money back was because she had been caught. The lawyer replied that she only kept the money because she panicked.

At that point, Magistrate Joseph Apap Bologna told Dr Spiteri not to exaggerate and Dr Vassallo said that a conditional discharge could be considered.

The magistrate told the prosecuting officer that a conditional discharge would be the ideal punishment, especially as Ms Pulis was a first-time offender.

The court warned Ms Pulis against committing another crime.

In tears, she asked to be forgiven.

Dr Spiteri asked the court to ban publication of the name of the accused but the magistrate turned down the request.