Two men and a woman who stole money from Żebbuġ service station this weekend were handed differing sentences in court today after admitting to the crime. 

Pier Paul Buttigieg, an unemployed 40-year-old from Birkirkara, businessman Matthew John Migneco, 43, and Marisa Osthus, 48, who hosts students for a living and lives with Mr Migneco in Sliema, were charged with aggravated theft and damage to third party property. Mr Buttigieg was also charged with being a relapser. 

The three targeted the service station and car wash at 2am on the night between Friday and Saturday, making off with an undermined amount of cash and damaging equipment. 

Service station owners claimed that thieves had made off with €1,700 in cash, but prosecuting inspector Kylie Borg said this figure appeared to have been inflated.

The stolen cash had not been retrieved, the prosecution pointed out. The three had done €643 in damage to station equipment. 

Magistrate Consuelo Scerri Herrera heard defence lawyers for each of the three plead mitigating circumstances for their respective clients. 

Mr Migneco's lawyer Stephen Tonna Lowell argued that his client was an accomplice, not the principal offender. He had also entered an early guilty plea and cooperated with the police. Mr Migneco would willingly pay his share once the actual sum of damages was quantified, the lawyer declared.

Veronique Dalli, making submissions on behalf of Ms Osthus, pointed out that her client had also been an accomplice in the theft, sitting behind the wheel of the getaway car while her two partners broke into the service station. The woman was the most vulnerable of the three and posed no threat to society, Dr Dalli argued.

Leontine Calleja, assisting Mr Buttigieg, drew the court’s attention to the fact that her client needed help to overcome a drug problem.

Upon their own admission, the court found all three guilty, but varied sentences based on their circumstances and participation in the crime. 

Mr Migneco was condemned to a prison term of eight months suspended for three years while Ms Osthus was condemned to 10 months suspended for two years. Both were placed under a two-year Probation Order with strict orders to undergo regular drug tests.

Mr Buttigieg was handed a one-year effective jail term in view of his voluminous criminal record. Each of the accused was ordered to pay €350 by way of compensation to the service station owners. Furthermore, all three were ordered to fork out €220 each to make good the damage caused to the car wash equipment.

All three accused were strongly warned that they would not be let off lightly if they were to be brought once again before the court.