A 39-year-old man has been sentenced to seven months imprisonment and slapped with a €400 fine after he was found guilty of breaking into and entering the home of an elderly woman in Zebbug.

Christopher Scerri, from Pieta, was caught in the residence together with Mario Camilleri. The pair were prosecuted separately, with Scerri being found guilty both of breaking and entering and attempted theft. The incident took place in 2013 when police had arrived at the woman’s home after receiving a report that two men were acting suspiciously by fiddling with a green front door on Mithna Street.

The officers found the front door locked, however they found what appeared to be fresh scratches. This prompted one of the officers to peak through the letter box, where he saw the two men, and immediately kicked the door open.

Scerri was found holding a screwdriver while Camilleri was found holding a pair of tights – both were arrested on site.

A police sergeant had testified to say that the home was visibly ransacked, however the elderly woman said that when she returned from church she had not noted any missing items. She confirmed that she had locked the door.

The court observed that the charged of attempted theft was aggravated by means and place, but not by value. Ultimately, presiding magistrate Josette Demicoli took into consideration the man’s criminal history, including breaching conditions of bail, and ordered him to serve a seven-month prison term.

Inspector Fabian Fleri prosecuted.