An elderly man with a criminal record dating back more than three decades accused of being involved in stealing fuel from a Qormi petrol station earlier this month was remanded in custody today.

Angelus Vella, the 64-year old from Fgura, was arrested yesterday at around 3.15am in Paola. He should have been observing a curfew imposed as part of bail conditions in separate proceedings at that time. 

Mr Vella was today escorted before duty magistrate Audrey Demicoli and charged over that breach of bail as well as over the theft of fuel on the night of November 22.

The man was charged with having worked with an accomplice to steal fuel and defraud the service station owner out of an amount not exceeding €500.

Inspector Roderick Agius provided the court with a brief overview of the man’s criminal history, stressing that there had been continuous brushes with the law since 1980.

“Although supposedly a mature and adult person, he still persists in this life,” the prosecution remarked, adding that the man had a criminal record showing a recent conviction in 2014 and other pending cases.

“Besides this man has also admitted that, even at his age, he has a drug problem which is landing him in such trouble,” Inspector Agius explained.

Bail was objected to not only on the grounds of the man’s lack of trustworthiness but also because he could easily approach the petrol station and influence crucial witnesses in these proceedings.

Defence counsel Noel Bianco, on the other hand argued that such possible tampering with evidence could be countered by strict conditions of bail. Moreover, his client was ‘a sick man’ and prison would not be an ideal place given that he needed help.

Yet the court upheld the arguments of the prosecution and turned down the request for bail, recommending to the Director of Prisons that the accused be given all help necessary to battle his addiction to illegal substances.

Inspector Roderick Agius prosecuted.
Lawyer Noel Bianco was defence counsel.