Former clients’ testimonies send heroin dealer to prison
A man was yesterday sentenced to two years and nine months in prison after four of his former clients testified against him.
Martin Debono, 40, from Ħamrun, was found guilty of trafficking heroin, which was further aggravated as he was found to be dealing the drug within the vicinity of a school, youth centre, or social club.
He was also guilty of relapsing and breaking the conditions handed down to him in a sentence given on 9 June 2008.
Debono’s previous offences include aggravated theft and the possession of heroin on several occasions, attempted theft and wilful damage, and the falsification of documents.
He has previously been granted a conditional discharged (twice), a probationary order (twice), monetary fines, a suspended prison sentence, and an effective prison sentence (three times).
In relation to the aforementioned charges, Debono was arrested on 12 January 2012. Upon a search of his vehicle, police officers found a bag containing a brown substance, and they also found, in Debono’s possession, an empty cigarette packet with two pieces of foil that were stained brown.
There were no illicit substances found at Debono’s residence after a police search was conducted. Debono later refused to answer questions while under interrogation.
A female former drug addict told the court, presided over by Magistrate Natasha Galea Sciberras, that she had started using heroin when she was 16 years old and continued to do so over the next seven years.
The woman and another of Debono’s former clients said in 2010 that they would purchase heroin from a dealer known as ‘Il-Boċċu’ or ‘IlBuċċ’, but none of them knew the dealer by name. In March 2012, however, another former client was arrested after police found him and his friend in a car with a sachet containing a brown substance and seven new syringes. He told the police that he had purchased the substance from someone known as ‘Il-Boċċu’, who he later revealed as Martin Debono.
He also later identified Debono as ‘Il-Boċċu’ in court.
The witness also provided the mobile number of the accused and through Vodafone’s records it was established that Debono and the witness had contacted one another on 17 separate occasions throughout May 2011 in addition to the text messages that the two exchanged.
A fourth client also identified Debono as ‘il-Boċċu’ and said he had bought from him on three separate occasions prior to his appearance in court.
Debono was sentenced to two years and nine months in prison, and was required to pay a fine of €2,750 and €955 in court expenses.