A bite mark caused by a monkey proved to be a crucial piece of evidence in the conviction of a man for the theft of animals from Ir-Razzett tal-Ħbiberija.
Louis Ronayne, 26, and two other men stole several animals, including a monkey and a small deer, from the centre for disabled people in Marsascala in two separate robberies that took place in September and in December 2007. Mr Ronayne was jailed for two years for the crime while his brother Salvino, 20, and Kevin Portelli, 32, got off with a probationary period and a suspended sentence respectively.
A pivotal piece of evidence was a bite mark found on Mr Portelli's back, which was matched to a monkey the trio had failed to take.
The animals, worth €4,675, were all stolen in the dead of night after the men scaled a boundary wall of the Razzett (Park of Friendship).
Before the police caught up with them they had managed to make off with three barn owls, two golden pheasants, five mountain goats, an Amazon parrot and a rabbit, all of which were used for therapy with disabled children.
On one occasion an adult deer was also found bludgeoned to death in the grounds of the park.
Magistrate Doreen Clarke found the three men guilty of stealing the animals, handling stolen property, causing cruelty to animals and damaging the park.
Louis Ronayne was also found guilty of relapsing. In her considerations, the magistrate said that, despite the many opportunities he had been given by the court to reform himself, he never did. So the only option left open was to jail him for two years.
As he was also found guilty of relapsing, two previous suspended jail terms come into effect, which means his prison time lengthens to six years.
In the case of his brother Salvino, the magistrate noted that he had been jailed once before but, according to his psychotherapist Charles Cassar and Joanna Battistino, a person employed with the youth prison, he had made substantial progress. They said he was ready to reintegrate into society and had even been on prison leave. The court, therefore, placed him under probation for three years.
As for Mr Portelli, the court said he did not have the childhood problems of the other two men and had a stable job. He was also 10 years older, which meant he should have been a lot more mature than them. However, he had an alcohol problem and was receiving help for it.
Magistrate Clarke handed down a two-year jail term suspended for three and fined him €1,000.