The Chief Justice has rejected an appeal by a convicted thief who insisted he had reformed after viewing his 30-page criminal record and concluding the man had not changed his ways at all.

Charles Mangion, who admitted to stealing cash from the Family Store in Għaxaq in January 2001, had been jailed for 18 months and then appealed.

Police Inspector Carmelo Magri had told the Magistrates' Court that when the accused was in his office he had expressed the will to reform and admitted to the crime in question and to another.

However, on hearing the appeal, Chief Justice Vincent De Gaetano said that neither had Mr Mangion plead guilty, because, he had contested the charges brought against, nor did his lawyer refer to the "reform" when the case was before the Magistrates' Court.

The Chief Justice said Mr Mangion had failed to appear four times in court and racked up €412 in fines. He never tried to justify his absence and when he failed to appear before the appeals court he simply said he had forgotten about it.

The appeals court said this was certainly not somebody who had reformed and, besides, his criminal record contained no fewer than 30 pages and 16 convictions.