A 56-year-old man was acquitted of simulating theft in his house after admitting that he had stolen his sons’ money.

The court, presided over by Magistrate Doreen Clarke, heard how Joseph Azzopardi reported a theft from his room. He claimed that money was stolen from him and his brother Colin, both of whom lived with their father Emmanuel Azzopardi in Buskett, limits of Rabat.

On arriving on site, the police found that the two brothers’ room was ransacked; however, both the investigators’ and brothers’ suspicions fell on Emmanuel Azzopardi, who was in financial difficulties.

He admitted that he had fabricated the pillage in order to throw investigations off track. Azzopardi returned the money he had stolen but for a small amount he had already spent.

His sons forgave their father and dropped all charges; however, the police charged him with reporting a crime which he knew did not occur, committing a crime during the operative term of a suspended jail term sentence and relapsing.

The court acquitted Emmanuel Azzopardi on the grounds that it was his son Joseph who reported the theft to the police.

Police Inspector Nezren Grixti prosecuted while Dr Roberto Montalto appeared for the accused.