A man was given a suspended jail term of 18 months for helping himself to the national electricity supply to power his Delimara home, insisting, however, he had done so over a much shorter period than that alleged by the prosecution.

Anthony Desira, 66, was accused of stealing more than €10,000 worth of electricity from Enemalta in 2013 and throughout the preceding years.

Following an anonymous tip-off, in April 2013, the police started investigations which revealed that the accused was drawing electricity from a street lighting pole at a time when no electricity meter had yet been installed at his residence.

Although he had owned the place for 40 years, no application for the installation of an electricity meter could be traced on Enemalta’s records dating back to 2001.

The accused had claimed that his home was powered by solar energy but an onsite inspection revealed that the batteries of his photovoltaic panels were disconnected. However, Enemalta officials did trace a wire from a street lighting pole feeding a meter that was not Enemalta property inside the accused's residence.

Mr Desira had admitted he had connected his electricity system to the street lamp “for just one week” as a temporary measure when his solar panel inverter had broken down.

However, when the police received another report that the accused's house lights were being left on throughout the night, officers paid a second surprise visit to the man's home.

There they found a wall-mounted unit through which a cable connected the upper floor to the street lighting system, powering an air conditioner, a decoder and numerous lamps.

Criminal action over the suspected electricity theft was instituted against the accused who admitted to the charge but contested the duration and value of the offence.

The court, presided over by Magistrate Donatella Frendo Dimech, deplored the fact that the accused's residence had only been inspected six weeks after the anonymous report received by the police.

Moreover, the prosecution had failed to establish the amount of electricity stolen, presenting instead a mere estimate in court.

On the basis of the evidence produced, the prosecution had only succeeded in proving beyond reasonable doubt that the theft had spanned a period of 86 days and amounted to some €430 in value.

While declaring the accused guilty of the theft and condemning him to an 18-month jail term suspended for two years, the court ordered the man to pay Enemalta €709 by way of compensation for the loss suffered.

Lawyers Franco Debono and Amadeus Cachia were parte civile to Enemalta.