A magistrate has jailed for three years a burglar who, despite his never-ending list of 50 convictions on his criminal record, never went to jail.

Magistrate Marseann Farrugia said 47-year-old Charles Sammut lacked respect for the police and even the court as he did not avail himself of the various opportunities he had been given to get his life back on track. She noted how a fifth of the convictions were over threatening the police.

She was ruling over a case in which Mr Sammut pleaded guilty to a series of burglaries and attempted thefts from various houses in Ghaxaq, Mosta and Birkirkara between April 15 and 20, 2009.

"He was given seven conditional discharges and was never imprisoned. Even though the crimes in question are not among the most serious, the impressive number of convictions clearly show that he has no respect towards the law, the police or society so it is about time he learnt his lesson," Magistrate Farrugia said.

She also noted that although he promised to reimburse the victims, he had only paid back €4,500 and still had to pay back €9,000.

Moreover, he did not cooperate with the police and only admitted to the charges when some of the stolen items were found in his possession. She therefore jailed him for three years.

Police Inspectors Elton Taliana and Carlos Cordina prosecuted.