Thieves hit an elderly man with their car, then took him to a garage, bound him and burgled his house in Marsascala, a court established, in a shocking case which took place nine years ago. 

Raymond Psaila, 46 was convicted of aggravated theft today and handed a suspended jail sentence.

Magistrate Claire Stafrace Zammit heard how in the early morning of October 11, 2007 the victim, an elderly Marsascala man, was walking in the street when he was run over by a black car.

The culprits helped him into their car and after offering to take him to hospital, led him to a garage in Marsascala where they bound him and made off with his house keys.

When the victim finally managed to free himself, he headed back to find his home in a state of upheaval, although the lock to the door was intact. The man soon realised that 1000 Maltese liri were missing, as well as a revolver and two shotguns.

A forensic expert confirmed that one of the fingerprints lifted from a kitchen utensil at the house perfectly matched that of a finger on the right hand of the accused. However, no matching fingerprints were traceable to the car allegedly use in the plot.

The court noted that even one shred of circumstantial evidence was sufficient to reach the state of "moral and legal conviction" required at law.

It was observed, however, that the victim himself, on the witness stand, had denied ever having set eyes upon the accused or having admitted him into his home. The man did not recognise the accused in court.

This further convinced the court that the matching fingerprint linking the accused to the scene of the crime must have been left there when the accused was committing the theft.

The court condemned the accused to a jail term of one-year suspended for three years.

Inspector Fabian Fleri prosecuted.

Lawyers Franco Debono and Amadeus Cachia were defence counsel.