A man who stole €1,700 from a gas cylinder deliveryman while on bail for another offence has been handed a suspended sentence and ordered to forfeit his €10,000 bail bond.

32 year-old Keith Cremona was accused of stealing a pouch containing the cash from the cabin of a gas delivery truck while the owner was working at the rear of the vehicle.

The gas distributor had told police that he had noticed the man acting suspiciously around his truck, at one point going underneath it, ostensibly to trim some weeds. As the driver was delivering gas cylinders, he noticed the accused opening the cabin door and lifting up his cash pouch. He gave chase and nearly caught the hooded thief, but he managed to slip away.

The victim and his son said they recognised the accused in the courtroom as the culprit had stopped and stared at them at a point as they were chasing him.

When they had gone to the police station to file a report, they asked the officers to arrest Cremona when he goes to sign his bail register, but were informed that Cremona had not signed his bail book for the past 6 months.

The court of magistrates presided by magistrate Claire Stafrace Zammit said there was no doubt that it was Keith Cremona who had stolen the cash filled pouch from the driver’s cabin and that he had been caught red handed. It noted that the driver had caught up with the accused, who had turned and looked him in the eye before throwing away the empty pouch. This meant it was easier for Cremona to be recognised.

But the court also observed that despite the man’s alleged lengthy criminal record, no evidence of his previous convictions were exhibited in court and so he had to be treated as a first time offender.

For this reason, the court sentenced Cremona to one year of imprisonment, suspended for two years. It also ordered the confiscation of the man’s €10,000 bail guarantee.

Inspector Elliott Magro prosecuted. Lawyer David Gatt was defence counsel.