A Romanian man who earlier this week admitted to stealing perfumes from two shops, appeared in court again yesterday after CCTV footage emerged showing him stealing from another outlet.

Barbu Costiga, 33, admitted to the theft of several items of clothing from the Diesel shop in Sliema.

On Monday, he was handed a suspended sentence after pleading guilty to the theft of several perfumes. When the case was reported in the media, accompanied by photographs of the thieves taken from CCTV footage, the police received information that he was the same person who had stolen items from the clothes shop in Sliema.

The man was re-arrested and before Magistrate Carol Peralta, admitted to stealing eight T-shirts costing €33 each and two jackets costing €40 each.

The magistrate jailed him for one year suspended for two after considering that the shop owners had been repaid and that the man had cooperated with the police.

Magistrate Peralta noted that this was “organised crime” that was causing severe difficulties to Maltese business owners.

Police inspector Jason Sultana prosecuted while lawyer Roberto Montalto appeared as defence counsel.