Dunstan Sims, 22 of Msida, today pleaded not guilty to stealing €2,860 in cash from Lidl supermarket in Sta Venera.

Police Inspector Joseph Agius said in court that on February 5, the district manager of Lidl, Romina Zammit, had informed the police that €2,860 contained in a money bag which the accused was responsible for, had gone missing.

Company officials had questioned the accused, who blamed the supervisor who worked the next shift after he did.

The inspector said that on the same day that the money was missing, the accused had gone to a pastizzerija opposite Lidl and exchanged €70 worth of coins into notes. When the confectioner learnt that the accused had been arrested on suspicion of theft, he reported the incident to the police.

The inspector said that accused had been warned in 2006 by a Magistrate after he was found guilty of stealing a purse. He had also been warned by Lidl when cash went missing from his cash machine.