Suspected thief in Rabat viral video arrested and charged

A suspected thief, chased down a Tal-Virtu’ street on Sunday by a resident who captured the whole episode on video, was remanded in custody after pleading not guilty to aggravated theft on Tuesday.

Valletta resident Patrick Mangion, 46, was captured on camera by a vigilante resident hurrying off down a quiet side street in Rabat, hooded and wearing black, while swearing at the person shooting the footage, who repeatedly branded him "thief".

In the video, which quickly made the rounds on social media, the suspected thief tried to shrug off his pursuer for several minutes before being whisked away in a getaway car driven by a third party.

He was ultimately arrested, releasing a detailed statement about the events of that Sunday morning.

The man was escorted to court on Tuesday, pleading not guilty to having stolen some €20 in cash from a parked Fiat, uttered obscene words in public, insulted the man who had chased him after the alleged theft, as well as breached two earlier bail decrees.

Defence lawyer Alfred Abela, when making submissions on bail, pointed out that the man had personally contacted the police and turned up to release his statement, alleging that he had been acting...