Father-to-be is jailed

A Sicilian man stole cash from the donation box at the Millennium Chapel because he needed money to buy a cot for his baby who is due to be born next week.

The father-to-be, who only started a new job seven days ago, was jailed for 18 months but said he was okay with that because the most important thing for him was having a clear conscience.

Gianluca Torres, 39, from Syracuse, was accused of stealing an undisclosed sum from the chapel on Tuesday when he was there to see its director, Fr Hillary Tagliaferro, who was with other people at the time.

Through an interpreter, he told Magistrate Neville Camilleri yesterday that he had only just started a new job and needed money to buy a cot for his new baby expected next week.

In fact, he was at the chapel precisely to see if Fr Tagliaferro would be able to find one for him.

Mr Torres, who has a long list of convictions for theft, was identified through CCTV footage outside the chapel.

He returned some time later to give back €75, claiming it was the full amount he had stolen and that he had felt guilty about it.

The court, however, heard that the donation box had not been emptied for some time and there was much more money inside it than the amount returned.

Still, Mr Torres stuck to his line, even after being warned by the magistrate that he could go to jail for the crime.

“I made this mistake but I took the money back. I know I can go to jail but what’s important for me is that I have a clear conscience,” he told Magistrate Camilleri when asked whether he stood by his guilty plea.

Defence counsel Renzo Porsella Flores said his client was so overwhelmed with guilt that he returned the money and apologised to Fr Tagliaferro for taking it.

Magistrate Camilleri noted that Mr Torres had several previous convictions for theft but Dr Porsella Flores interjected, saying these were related to his previous drug addiction.

The magistrate said that, despite his early guilty plea, it seemed Mr Torres had not yet learnt his lesson.

Noting that his latest theft took place from inside a church, he jailed Mr Torres for 18 months “so he will learn to avoid trouble”.

Police Inspector Luke Bonello prosecuted in the case.