A convicted thief insisted in court he was jogging to lose weight even though he was wearing a long-sleeved jacket in the middle of summer when the police stopped him in suspicious circumstances.

Jonathan Felice, 25, from Qormi, told Magistrate Marseann Farrugia one minute he was exercising and the next he was arrested.

He said he wore a long-sleeve jacket and a top underneath so it could soak up his sweat because he needed to lose weight, an explanation the magistrate said did not make sense in the circumstances.

Mr Felice was charged with being in possession of items for which he could not offer a reasonable explanation, breaching the conditions of bail in three separate cases, violating a probation order and relapsing.

Explanation did not make sense in circumstances

Police Sergeant Ryan Pisani and Constable Nigel Mallia were told to go to Monsignor Frendo Street, in Qormi, on July 12 to investigate two suspicious-looking men.

They got there at about 6pm and spotted the two men, including Mr Felice who was wearing a baseball cap, sunglasses and a long-sleeve jacket, the court heard.

When they approached the suspects they threw a bag on the ground and took off in opposite directions.

One officer followed the accused in the car and the other gave chase. The second suspect escaped but Mr Felice was arrested.

He told the police he thought his bail curfew was no longer in force but in court he claimed he was jogging.

In the bag, the police found a crowbar, a long screwdriver, socks and a top, items notoriously used by thieves.

Magistrate Farrugia noted that Mr Felice had been convicted 13 times, including six times for theft, which included holding people against their will.

His probation officer told the court he had not followed up appointments and failed a drugs test, proving positive for cocaine.

What mainly worried the court was Mr Felice’s lack of motivation to find a job, a failure that would inevitably lead to more problems, she said, adding that this made him dangerous to society.

He was sentenced to two-and-a-half years in jail.