Zim man jailed in Malta for 19 burglaries

via Zim man jailed in Malta for 19 burglaries 14/11/2014

A 28-YEAR-OLD Zimbabwean man who was found guilty of 19 thefts and three attempted thefts during a four-month spell in 2008 has been jailed for six years in Malta.

Stephen Priviledge Mapimhidze, born in Zimbabwe but living with his foster parents in Bugibba, admitted to committing the string of thefts from numerous hotel rooms at St Paul’s Hotel and Topaz Hotel in St Paul’s Bay.

The court heard that between May and August 2008, Mapimhidze burgled hotel rooms at the St Paul’s Bay hotels and made off with several mobile phones, digitial cameras, cash, Ipods, an Iphone, a speaker and MP3 players.

He was also charged with three attempted thefts from the same hotels, with relapsing, with breaching bail conditions, and with committing the crime during the operative period of a suspended sentence.

The court noted that even though the accused admitted to the charges at an early stage and had done his best to return the stolen items, he nevertheless has a lengthy criminal record.

Magistrate Marseann Farrugia noted that at such a young age, Mapimhidze already has 10 convictions, six of which are related to thefts while others are related to inflicting slight injuries.

Moreover, the court heard that the accused has been trying to reform and that he successfully concluded a drug rehabilitation programme.

Nevertheless, the accused has since fallen back into bad habits, had left his foster parents’ home and had also lost contact with his probation officer.

Consequently, the court argued that Mapimhidze had not taken the opportunities to reform, and therefore handed him a six-year jail term.