Career criminal and aspiring politician Daniel Lanzon has seen his jail term reduced by six months after an Appeals Court upheld his argument that he had stolen €300 and not €430. 

The 30-year-old from St Julian's had been sentenced to 18 months in jail after he was found guilty of stealing €430 in cash from an office at the Cottonera Sports Pavillion on May 3, 2009, and of causing damage to the shop. He had also been found guilty of relapsing. 

But Mr Lanzon appealed, arguing that he had admitted in his statement released to the police that he had stolen €300 in cash and that the figure of €430 was not even confirmed by the person who had found the cash missing from a drawer in his office. 

He also argued that the 18-month prison term was too severe for such a crime, especially when considering the testimonies of his psychiatrist who confirmed that he had mental health problems. 

The Court of Criminal Appeal, presided over by Mr Justice David Scicluna, said Mr Lanzon's statement given to the police was admissible as evidence since there was no evidence showing that he had been forced to say what he said. The judge also noted that Mr Lanzon had previous experiences of police interrogations. 

Mr Justice Scicluna heard how the complex manager told the police he had found "between €300 and €400" missing from his desk drawer. A man was seen in closed circuit television footage entering the office at 3pm and leaving at 3.30pm. Police Inspector Spiridione Zammit had recognised Mr Lanzon and arrested him over the theft. 

In his statement, Mr Lanzon had admitted to the theft of €300 in cash but there was no evidence to prove that €430 had been stolen, Mr Justice Scicluna ruled. 

He, therefore, reduced the prison to term to 12 months and ordered that Mr Lanzon continues to serve his sentence at Mount Carmel Hospital, where he is currently receiving treatment. 

Last April, Mr Lanzon began a hunger strike after the permission he had been granted to carry out odd jobs at a home run by Franciscan friars was withdrawn.

Mr Lanzon, who has been in and out of prison over several convictions, mainly for thefts, is currently serving a 10-year prison term after pleading guilty to beating up a 76-year-old woman with a broomstick and then tried to strangle her with bedclothes. 

He had been jailed in 2012 after admitting to the charges shortly before his trial by jury was due to start. The attempted murder had taken place in April 2003 in Dingli Street in Sliema. He had forced his way into the woman's house after knocking at the door, beat her with a broomstick, hit her in the head with a bottle and then tried to strangle her with bedclothes. 

In 2009, Mr Lanzon had appeared on the media saying he had put his past behind him and wanted to contest the general election.