A man was yesterday jailed for three months for not signing the bail book – but avoided imprisonment when the magistrate accep­ted he was sick.

Magistrate Carol Peralta at first found Stephen Galli, 49, of Sliema, guilty of not signing the book for three weeks.

He later retracted the sentence, ordering him instead to report to the Sliema police station twice a day and to never skip signing the book again.

Mr Galli is charged with stealing a bag containing thousands of euros worth of silverware and jewellery, which were meant to be exhibited in a hotel in September.

He appeared before Magistrate Peralta accused of failing to sign the book, a basic bail condition.

Police told the court he had last signed it in mid-December.

Mr Galli pleaded that he was ill and could not go to the police station.

“I’m a very sick man, your honour,” he told the magistrate as he rummaged through a number of medical certificates and Mater Dei Hospital documents.

When he passed them to the magistrate, it emerged that some were dated April 2011 and others referred to last November.

The magistrate told the accused that he did not believe him.

But Mr Galli continued to implore that he was truly sick.

When the magistrate asked why he had not called the police to tell them so, Mr Galli replied: “I don’t have a telephone at home and neither do I own a mobile phone.”

After retracting the imprisonment, Magistrate Peralta told the accused he was prepared to give him the benefit of the doubt.

“Forewarned is forearmed. I’m not joking. If you do it again, you lose your liberty. Take this as a warning. Breaching bail means you’re ignoring the court and I won’t allow that,” he said.

Police Inspector Saviour Baldacchino prosecuted.

Lawyer Joe Ellis appeared for the accused.

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