Twins ‘planned to burgle aunt’s house’

Two 15-year-old brothers admitted to the police they had agreed with a Sicilian man to burgle their aunt’s house, stealing nearly €17,000 worth of items.

Police Inspector Sylvana Briffa said the twins, whose names cannot be mentioned as they are minors, gave details of the burglary they had planned.

She was testifying before Magistrate Edwina Grima in the compilation of evidence against Mario Campolo, 38, of Catania but who lives in Tarxien, who stands charged with burglary from a house in Marsascala, handling stolen property and breaching a probation order.

Ms Briffa said the house was burgled on the morning of March 5. Stolen items included a Nintendo DS games console, jewellery, an iPhone 4, two bottles of whisky and a jar full of coins.

She said the police received a tip-off that a 15-year-old may have been involved in the robbery.

They tracked down the boy, who said he and his brother had agreed with the accused to burgle their aunt’s house.

He said the Sicilian man had driven them to the house where they helped him gain access from the back using a plank of wood to jump in from an adjacent plot of land so he could go inside and open the front door to let them in.

The officer said that, after the burglary, they stopped at a jewellery shop in Fgura where they sold some of the gold items for about €700.

Later, they sold two diamond rings to a jewellery shop in Birkirkara. The boy had told her they disposed of empty jewellery boxes in Tarxien. The witness said the other boy corroborated the version given by his brother before he had the chance to speak about it or possibly agree on a story.

Ms Briffa said Mr Campolo admitted he had given the twins a lift but denied participating in the burglary. He told her they had called him some 40 minutes later to go back for them and also promised to pay him.

She said Mr Campolo admitted going to the Fgura and Birkirkara jewellery shops with them and disposing of jewellery boxes in Tarxien.

Under cross examination, Ms Briffa said that, according to the information given to the police, the jewellery items had been sold for not more than €1,000.

Police Inspector James Grech also prosecuted. Noel Cutajar appeared for the accused. The case continues.