A man who used a chequebook to buy some €3,200 worth of goods when his bank account balance never surpassed a €93 credit was yesterday jailed for two years.

Anthony Bezzina, 63, from St Paul’s Bay, who has other convictions for fraud, was found guilty of defrauding various companies with dishonoured cheques in 2003.

The court heard how he used to buy goods and pay by cheques which would then be dishonoured. He was convicted for defrauding S. Rausi trading in April 2003 and Ray’s Jewellers, Dolce Freschi and Lorry Farrugia Wines and Spirits in May that year.

A representative of Bank of Valletta testified that the chequebook was linked to an account opened in December 1996 and closed in April 2003 after the bank received various reports of dishonoured cheques.

The bank also asked Mr Bezzina to return the chequebook but he failed to do so.

The bank told the court that the account had been opened with a deposit of €93 and no further deposits were made.

Mr Bezzina testified that the cheques could not be cashed because he had not managed to deposit money into the account.

But Magistrate Giovanni Grixti said this justification was not credible at all.