Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/1475799
2 NEWS maltatoday | WEDNESDAY • 10 AUGUST 2022 2 NEWS 'Nothing but sunshine' for holiday weekend MATTHEW AGIUS A man's reluctance to ask his fami- ly for financial help has landed him with a conviction for theft after he admitted to having robbed a wom- an of €700. Inspectors Daryl Borg and Kevin Pulis arraigned Englishman Callym Glenn Michael Hoddy, 25, before magistrate Claire Stafrace Zammit, on charges of theft aggravated by value, handling stolen goods and carrying a knife in public without the required licence. The charges relate to the theft of €700 in cash from a woman in Val- letta at around 3am this morning and reflect the fact that at the time of his arrest, the police had found a knife in Hoddy's bag although this was not used during the robbery. No other details of the crime emerged during the arraignment because Hoddy, who told the court that he had been living in Malta since December, immediately ad- mitted the charges when the court's registrar asked him what he would be pleading. In his submissions on punish- ment, Inspector Borg informed the court that Hoddy had cooperated with the police and that most of the stolen cash had been retrieved. Lawyer Charmaine Cherrett, ap- pointed as legal aid defence coun- sel, submitted that the amount stolen was minimal and had been repaid. The magistrate, however, ex- pressed concern at the fact that the accused had no fixed place of resi- dence and was unemployed, saying that she didn't want him to resort to crime again due to lack of mon- ey. Hoddy told the court that he al- ready had a hostel stay booked until Monday and was currently looking for a job. The magistrate asked him what he would do if he couldn't find a job. "I could ask my family for fi- nancial help," replied the accused, explaining that he hadn't done so before because he had been reluc- tant to admit to his family that he had financial problems. Asked the reason for his presence in Malta, in view of his apparent lack of ties, Hoddy explained that he had come to Malta as his ex-girl- friend is Maltese. He told the court that he had no money and would have to ask his grandmother to pay any fine im- posed. "I wish I could give you an option, but…I'd have to ask my grandmother," he said. The sitting was suspended in or- der to give the man some time to arrange for the transfer of funds. When the case resumed, the court proceeded to sentencing. Hoddy was handed a three-year condition- al discharge and ordered to pay a €120 fine. Unemployed man admits to robbing woman of €700 in Valletta THE police have arrested 27 people who have been found to be living in Malta illegally. The mass arrests were carried out on Tuesday morning by the police's Immigration Squad, who were carrying out inspections at properties in Triq is-Serkin, Triq il-Ġerrejja and Triq it-Tiġrija in Marsa. People of different nationalities were spoken to by the police. The police said that the 27 arrested on Tuesday were taken to the Police Headquarters in Floriana, so the process for them to be deported can begin. The police were assisted by the Detention Services, and investigations are ongoing. A construction worker suffered grievous injuries af- ter a fall in Birkirkara on Monday. Police said that at around 1.30pm, a man whose identity is still unknown fell from a one-and-a-half- storey height at a construction site at Triq l-Imrieħel. An ambulance took the victim to Mater Dei hospi- tal, where he was certified as suffering from grievous injuries. Police investigations are ongoing. Police arrest 27 foreigners living in Malta illegally Unidentified worker grievously injured in Birkirkara fall CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 Zerafa added that cloud cover- age will reach six oktas, mean- ing roughly 6/8 of the sky will be covered by clouds, "or broken as we say in meteorology". Friday's weather conditions will remain unstable, with a forecast of isolated showers across the Maltese islands. Unofficial weather forecast- ing portals have pointed to- wards severe weather condi- tions in the coming days, with possibilities of a 'medicane' ripping through the Mediter- ranean. While neighbouring Sicily and other parts of Italy have experienced thunderstorms this week, Zerafa said that the weather models aren't pointing towards anything extreme. Nonetheless, chances of thun- derstorms are not zero. Zera- fa remarked that the weather models are not always fully ac- curate this time of year, making a Thursday thunderstorm all the more possible. Despite the less-than-ide- al weather predictions for the coming days, nothing but sun- shine is expected for the long Santa Marija weekend. "After these three days, we're expecting the weather to be sunny again, it will clear up for the last three days and Santa Marija." Marine heatwave Medicane chances are slim, but Malta's shores have been hit by a first-ever marine heat- wave. Until a few years ago the landmark temperature of 30°C in surface waters used to be reached at the end of summer, but the same temperature was reached in August for the first time in the summer of 2021. In 2022, water surface tem- peratures reached 30°C during the last days of July. Zerafa said that this marine heatwave has not had any no- ticeable effects on Malta's weather yet. However, in more unstable conditions a marine heatwave could affect thun- derstorms due to surface heat- ing. This would make thun- derstorms more frequent and more intense. Meteorological officer Saviour Zerafa Rain is expected on Wednesday and, possibly, Thursday