Police vs Matthew Camilleri — Serial Thief Convicted on 13 Counts

Burglaries across Għajn Tuffieħa, St Paul's Bay, Mosta, Gżira and Fgura — 3 years imprisonment — resisted arrest, damaged property

Qorti tal-Maġistrati (Malta) — Qorti ta' Ġudikatura Kriminali · Magistrate Dr. Nadine Sant Lia B.A., LL.M (Kent), LL.D. · 18 December 2025

Matthew Camilleri, 34, was charged with 19 counts arising from a series of thefts and burglaries committed between September and November 2021 across multiple locations in Malta including Għajn Tuffieħa, San Pawl il-Baħar, Mosta, Gżira and Fgura. The offences included stealing a car, theft from homes at night, vandalism, and violently resisting police officers during arrest. After extensive proceedings involving digital forensics and expert evidence, the court convicted him on 13 of the 19 counts and sentenced him to 3 years imprisonment, deducting time already served on remand.

The court acquitted on 5 counts (including the first count — theft of the Ford car at Għajn Tuffieħa — and counts 4, 5, 12 and 13) where the evidence was insufficient for conviction beyond reasonable doubt. On the remaining 13 counts, conviction was secured primarily through digital forensic evidence, CCTV footage, and witness testimony. The 82-page judgment reflects the complexity of a multi-incident case requiring correlation of evidence across different dates and locations. The sentence of 3 years imprisonment was imposed as a global term across all convictions, with time already served in preventive arrest deducted. The court also ordered repayment of a sum to victims under Article 15A of the Criminal Code.

• Aggravated theft (serq aggravat) under Arts. 261-263 of the Criminal Code carries higher penalties where the value exceeds €2,329.37, or where committed at night, by breaking and entering, or using a means of transport
• Digital forensic evidence — including phone data, CCTV, and expert analysis — is now routinely used to establish presence at crime scenes in Maltese courts
• Resisting or assaulting a police officer in the execution of their duty (Art. 325 Criminal Code) is a separate criminal offence charged alongside any underlying offence
• Where multiple offences are committed in a series, the court imposes a single global sentence rather than consecutive sentences for each — here 3 years across 13 convictions
• Acquittal on some counts does not prevent conviction on others — the court assesses each count independently on its own evidence
• Preventive arrest time (arrest preventiv) served before trial is deducted from any custodial sentence imposed on conviction
• Art. 15A of the Criminal Code allows the court to order convicted persons to compensate victims as part of the criminal sentence