A shoplifter who admitted stealing from shops but contested the amount failed to produce the stolen cash within two hours and was remanded in custody.

Carmela Cini, the 46-year old St Paul’s Bay resident, self-declared as boarded-out, was arraigned shortly after midday on Thursday over her involvement in two separate instances of theft from a supermarket store in her hometown.

Prosecuting officer Inspector Maurice Curmi told the court how between February 2 and 5, the woman had paid early morning daily visits to the store.

On the first occasion, it was around 5.30am when the suspect entered the supermarket and allegedly made off with two cartons of Marlboro cigarettes, each consisting of some 12 dozen individual packets, together with another six packets of Superking cigarettes, valued in total at around €141.

Three days later, the same woman was spotted hanging around the same location waiting for the shop owner to start the day.

As soon as the day’s business kicked off at around 4.30am, the suspect was allegedly seen entering the premises and, shortly after, making off with the owner’s bag containing some €3,500 in cash.

The suspect was tracked down and was on Thursday prosecuted under two charges of aggravated theft, as well as for breaching the conditions of a suspended sentence and relapsing.

Waiting for her turn to be arraigned, the woman fidgeted restlessly on the bench, picking arguments with the police officers, whilst stressing her point with her legal aid lawyer Joe Ellis.

When her turn arrived, the woman declared that she was willing to plead guilty but was contesting the amount of stolen cash, insisting that the sum had been €2,000 and not €3,500 as claimed in the charge sheet.

Inspector Maurice Curmi promptly pointed out that the woman had refused to answer questions when her statement was being recorded. Moreover, having faced similar charges in the past, she had been given numerous chances by the courts and had proved herself untrustworthy.

Lawyer Franco Galea, appearing parte civile for the shop owner, declared that the woman could at least indicate where the stolen goods could be located.

“Do you have the money?” Magistrate Monica Vella asked directly.

“Yes. I can give back the €2,000. But if I go to jail I would not be able to do so,” was the woman’s prompt reply.

Taking the woman’s word, the magistrate postponed the sitting and ordered the prosecution to accompany the accused to bring the money, adjourning the hearing for one hour.

Yet, when all parties returned to the courtroom, the arrested woman entered, accompanied by two officers, but still empty-handed, reassuring everyone that she had called a friend and that the money was on the way.

It was almost an hour later when the magistrate, having returned to resume the hearing, pronounced that the arrested person had not kept her word.

“Madame, I’ve granted you almost two hours and still you have not produced the money,” the magistrate declared, turning down the request for bail.