‘Thief’s fingerprints’ found

A fingerprint found on a stolen jewellery box was a perfect match of the defendant accused of stealing it, a court heard yesterday.

Josef Buttigieg, 22, of Mellieħa, was charged with stealing €7,000 in cash and jewellery from a house in Mġarr in April.

He had originally been arrested over a similar theft from a house in Żebbuġ in July but was then linked to the earlier Mġarr burglary thanks to the finger-print match.

Police Inspector James Grech gave information about the fingerprint found on the Mġarr jewellery box after defence lawyer Franco Debono objected to his client’s arraignment under arrest.

Inspector Grech said investigators had found it to be a “perfect match” with the defendant’s fingerprint.

Another man had admitted his involvement in the Mġarr burglary and was undergoing separate proceedings, he said. The man was remanded in custody.