A thief caught red-handed stealing a van in 2005 was today jailed for 18 months.

The man, Alexander Gialanze Whiteford, 27, from Sta Venera, had already been convicted for theft and threatening to bomb a police inspector's car.

The van he was caught stealing contained items from Brooklyn in St Pauls Bay, a shop he had broken into.

Van owner Francis Sant and his brother Joseph realised the van was about to be taken and ran the thief. They managed to stop it and carried out a citizen's arrest while they waited for the police.

Magistrate Audrey Demicoli took into consideration the fact that the items were returned and he had cooperated with the police in investigations.

In 2010, Mr Gialanze Whiteforc was jailed three-and-a-half years for stealing some €13,000 worth of jewellery in 2005. He was jailed again for four months last year for threatening to bomb an inspector's car.

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