A police inspector yesterday testified in the case against the three men who are accused of stealing animals from the Park of Friendship late last month.
Police inspector Chris Pullicino, from the CID, was testifying in the compilation of evidence against Kevin Portelli, 30, from Zabbar, Louis Ronayne, 24, from Kirkop, and his 20-year-old brother Salvino, from Marsascala who are pleading not guilty to stealing the animals, animal cruelty and causing damage at the Park of Friendship on September 30. Louis and Salvino Ronayne were also charged with breaching the conditions of a previous release and Louis Ronayne was charged with relapsing.
Insp. Pullicino told the court that he had an anonymous tip off about the two brothers and the possibility that they were still in possession of a monkey that had been stolen from the park.
The inspector said that he found out that Louis Ronayne was working at a construction site in Qormi. He spoke to him and he immediately admitted his involvement in the theft of the animals. When asked about the monkey, he told the police that they should speak to a certain Carmel Ellul.
The inspector then spoke to Salvino Ronayne, who also cooperated and told the police of his involvement, explaining the modus operandi of the heist. Asked about the deer which was found dead in the park, he said that they were trying to steal it but it struggled and at one point collapsed to the ground.
Insp. Pullicino said that Salvino pointed at Portelli as being an accomplice. He went to speak to him; however he denied his involvement. He had information that the monkey had bitten Portelli and told him that they wanted to take a cast of the bite so as to compare it to that of the monkey’s teeth. At this point, he caved in and admitted that he also took part in the robbery.
The park’s general manager, Mark Sultana, also testified. He told the court that some water pipes and the barbed wire fencing had been damaged as a result of the break in. He gave a breakdown of the value of the stolen animals, explaining that the dead deer was worth some Lm500. A baby deer stolen was worth between Lm100 and Lm150, each barn owl was worth Lm50, each golden pheasant was worth Lm30, the parrot between Lm30-50, a rabbit Lm5, and mountain goats at Lm10 each. The cheapest monkey similar to that stolen can be purchased for Lm200.
Three police sergeants’ testimonies backed up Insp. Pullicino’s account.
The case, heard before magistrate Doreen Clarke, continues. Dr Veronique Dalli, Dr Jose Herrera, Dr Chris Cardona, Dr Malcolm Mifsud and Dr Cedric Mifsud appeared for the accused.