Fiona Bondin, a Maltese mother of 40, has been served an 18 month prison sentence suspended to three years, as well as order to repay €5,000 to her former employer within six months, after CCTV footage caught her stealing beauty products, cash, medicines and other items.

Her former employer was a Hamrun pharmacy, where she was employed as a saleswoman.

The charges levelled against her say that thefts had been taking place over a period of months, and it was the installed CCTV that caught out who the culprit was. The footage allowed the employers to identify who had been stealing from them, resulting in her immediate dismissal and court prosecution.

Magistrate Ian Farrugia, presiding over the case, noted how no request was made for the appointment of an expert, such as an accountant or auditor, in order to ascertain the precise value of the objects stolen. The court did concede however that the amount stolen was “considerable”.

It was claimed that in actual fact, the total amount stolen exceeded that of €100,000. The court however, after reviewing documentary evidence produced in court in addition to reviewing the valuation drawn up by an ex-parte accountant, concluded that the value definitely exceeded €5,000, and most likely even €10,000. He noted that there was certainly not sufficient evidence to back up the €100,000 claimed by the pharmacist.

Ms Bondin was chastised by the court for grossly abusing the trust of her employer. The court took into consideration that the accused was a mother of a teenage boy, had a clean criminal record but could not ignore the malicious behaviour she exhibited.

The court heard how a civil suit for damages had also been filed by the former employer against the woman.

The court found Ms Bondin guilty of theft but not guilty of misappropriation and imposed an 18 month jail term suspended for 3 years. It also imposed a €5,000 fine which the accused is to pay within 6 months, besides footing the bill for court-expert expenses amounting to a further €1,802.

Inspector Ian Abdilla prosecuted.