Joseph Camilleri, 39, of Zebbug was acquitted after a court threw out the prosecution’s evidence about the theft of the jewellery of his wife’s grandmother, worth more than €4,000, because the prosecution’s evidence was not credible.

Magistrate Audrey Demicoli heard inspector Joseph Mercieca explain how while investigating the accused over a separate case of theft, he had received information that in June 2010 Camilleri had stolen various gold items from the residence of Maria Concetta Cutajar from Zejtun. But the victim had not filed a police report.

The police spoke to the victim and after hearing that Camilleri might be involved, she filed a police report, and she also presented the police with a complaint against Camilleri. The theft from the residence in Zejtun amounted to €4,679 and had taken place six months before.

The victim had informed the police that her granddaughter, Charlene Cutajar, had seen the missing gold in the house of her sister, who is the accused's wife. Charlene also told her grandmother that the accused had instructed her to steal the rest of the gold which was still at her grandmother's house.

Charlene’s sister Ramona had given her details about the whereabouts of the gold. Charlene in fact took the gold and met the accused in Valletta where she gave him two watches, two necklaces and a number of earrings.

Inspector Mercieca testified that he had spoken to Ramona Cutajar, who had denied any connection with the theft. In the meantime the grandmother had filed a declaration in which she informed the police that she did not want to press charges against her granddaughter Charlene but only against Joseph Camilleri. The accused had released a statement to the police stating that he had nothing to do with the theft of the gold.

In court, Charlene Cutajar said that Ramona had taken the gold from their grandmother and it was Ramona who had shown her the gold at her residence. The accused had at the time asked her to get the rest of the gold, which she did.

The accused told the court that he was at home with his wife when her grandmother informed her that her sister Charlene had taken her gold. Camilleri was of the opinion that Charlene's father should be informed but his wife was against this. He denied ever telling Charlene to take any gold items from her grandmother and stated that he thought that the Cutajar family was inventing things because of his past.

The accused explained that all he knew about the case of the missing gold, he had heard from his wife Ramona, from whom he is now separated.

Magistrate Demicoli noted that the prosecution's case relied on Charlene Cutajar, whose evidence conflicts with that of the accused.  When the court evaluated all the evidence, the magistrate concluded that the prosecution did not prove the case against Joseph Camilleri beyond reasonable doubt, and cleared him of all charges.