Of all the people a taxi driver might rob, just look at who it is
I made my home in Malta and all I got was this lousy taxi driver
Marcelle D’Argy Smith, a writer, broadcaster and occasional columnist for London newspapers, Cosmopolitan’s main writer in the 1980s and its editor from 1989 to 1995, Women’s Magazine Editor of the Year in 1991 and editor of Woman’s Journal in the late 1990s, ended up in court in Valletta this morning, after having been robbed by a taxi driver at the airport.
Read the report from www.timesofmalta.com, written by somebody who apparently hadn’t got a clue who she is or how to spell her name.
13:46CET
Taxi driver accused of robbing client
A taxi driver this morning pleaded not guilty to have stolen cash and a mobile phone from a client at the airport. Stephen Galea, 31 of Qormi was accused of stealing €700 in cash and a mobile phone from Marcelle D’Argi-Smith.
Ms D’Argi-Smith said that she had walked out of the airport with the driver. She placed her luggage near the car and walked a short distance to put the trolley back in its place. By the time she returned, her luggage had already been placed in the taxi. She realised that her wallet and mobile phone had been stolen when she got to her residence (in Malta) some time later.
Police Inspector Jason Agius told Magistrate Silvio Meli that CCTV footage clearly showed that the accused had ‘manoeuvred’ around her handbag before placing it in the luggage. Mr Galea was granted bail against a personal guarantee of €3,000.
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Reply to Pat Click here to cancel reply
…and then they blame the government if tourist numbers dwindle.
I wonder if the driver retains his tag in the meantime,….. and if convicted, will all be forgiven?
Ghax vera nkunu ta’ daqqiet ta’ harta, if this guy is ever allowed to own or drive a taxi in the future.
Completely off topic (or maybe not, given that I once had a piece of luggage stolen by a taxi driver in New York) – but you just have to watch this. It’s beautiful.
http://www.pixelcase.com.au/vr/2009/newyork/
Wow Daphne, thanks for uploading this link!
I truly would like to go and visit, it looks fabulous.
Love Ms. D’Argy Smith’s answer to Grace from St Julians who asked why she would not consider Catholicism (New Statesman 18/06/01):
“Er – Grace,” I say, “I’m Jewish. Why would I adopt another religion? Jewish is easy. Ten Commandments, you don’t covet your neighbour’s goat, that sort of thing. Also – though I admire Catholicism – I don’t believe Mary was a Virgin, or that Christ was the Son of God. And I’m pro-choice on abortion.”
Grace stares at me. “You really don’t believe Jesus rose from the dead?”
“No,” I say. “I don’t believe the Red Sea parted. And I believe in life before death.”
She shakes her head. “And you’re so intelligent about some things.”
A no guilty plea after being caught on camera. A colleague had her house robbed recently; the burglar was actually caught and pleaded not guilty, despite having her possessions in his house. Perhaps time to introduce harsher sentence for no guilty pleas – it is after all perjury.
Daphne, I think you prompted The Times into action with your blog. This is from today’s edition:
“Friday, 8th May 2009
Taxi driver accused of robbing former Cosmopolitan editor
Waylon Johnston
Former Cosmopolitan editor Marcelle D’Argy-Smith, who was allegedly robbed by a taxi driver just 15 minutes after she landed in Malta.
A taxi driver yesterday stood accused of helping himself to a Prada purse belonging to the former editor of Cosmopolitan, just 15 minutes after she landed in Malta last Tuesday. Taking the witness stand yesterday, Marcelle D’Argy-Smith, former editor of the famous women’s magazine, said she left her handbag next to the driver as she “trusts the Maltese”, having been here “five to six times a year for the past 20 years”. In fact, besides, Hyde Park in London, Ms D’Argy-Smith calls Sliema her home. It was only after a few hours in her Sliema apartment that she realised her purse and her mobile phone had gone missing.
“I wanted to go and buy myself some flowers from Flower Power, reached into my bag for the purse and mobile phone and realised they were gone.
“When things like this happen to you and you have no friends you are stranded,” she said, dismayed that the incident had ruined her stay here so far. The taxi driver, 31-year-old Stephen Galea, denied the charge. But police inspector Jason Agius said that CCTV footage taken from the airport cameras show Mr Galea fiddling with Ms D’Argy-Smith’s handbag before placing it in the boot of the car.
Ms D’Argy-Smith told the court that she left the airport with the driver at about 3.30 p.m., roughly 15 minutes after landing from London. Before getting in the car she had lost sight of the handbag for a few moments while she walked the few metres to put the luggage trolley in its place.
When she turned around her suitcase and handbag had been put in the boot by the driver. Using a copy of the Koran available in the courtroom to illustrate the size of her purse, she explained that she had €600 to €700 in it. “It was not very big but rather the size of a man’s wallet,” she said. In submissions on bail, defence lawyer Joseph Giglio told Magistrate Silvio Meli that his client has a clean police record and that since the alleged victim had already testified there was no fear of tampering with evidence.
Inspector Agius countered that they had the CCTV footage of him and asked the court to deny bail. But the magistrate decided to grant him bail against a personal guarantee of €3,000.”
I absolutely do not doubt Marcelle’s version, but how did she pay for the taxi if she had no money, and by the way I wonder how much the fare was and did she give him a tip? Interesting.
Kudos to the taxi driver for selecting a victim that can afford it.