Court counsels habitual offender with extensive criminal record: "Repeated offenses driven by unemployment and homelessness"
The Criminal Court has remanded Abdulla Shareef, a native of Lh. Kurendhoo with a significant criminal record, for five days following his arrest for attempted theft at Maldives Digital Services. During his remand hearing, Shareef attributed his recurring criminal behavior to homelessness and unemployment, prompting the court to instruct police to consider transferring his detention to his home island in light of his circumstances.
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A suspect brought before the Criminal Court for a remand hearing has attributed his pattern of reoffending to unemployment and homelessness. The individual made these remarks after the court cautioned him regarding his extensive history of repeated arrests and detentions.
Abdulla Shareef, a 48-year-old native of Lh. Kurendhoo, was arrested on Saturday on theft charges and brought before the court for a remand hearing. The court ordered him to be held in a custodial facility for a period of five days.
According to the court order, police testified that the suspect was apprehended while attempting to break into Maldives Digital Services. Authorities noted that the building's security cameras had been repositioned, and the suspect was discovered eating during the daylight hours of Ramadan. An air conditioning outdoor unit had been dismantled near him, and various tools used for disassembly were recovered at the scene. When initially questioned on-site, Shareef claimed he had entered the premises merely to rest due to exhaustion. However, he later confessed to committing the theft with two accomplices, who he alleged had already fled the scene.
However, during the trial, the defendant denied the allegations, repeatedly asserting that he had only entered the premises due to exhaustion.
Shareef, who has a prior criminal record for drug-related offenses and theft, was cautioned by the court due to the staggering number of allegations and arrests against him. In an emotional response to the court's counsel, he stated that he is homeless and unemployed, noting that he spends his nights sleeping on the streets or in public outdoor seating.
However, the investigating officer informed the court that the suspect had previously been granted the opportunity to return to his home island upon his request. Shareef, however, claimed he was unable to travel because his phone and money were stolen after someone cut his pocket while he was asleep.
The court stated that the objective could be achieved if the police arranged for his detention to be transferred to a facility within his home island region, taking his current circumstances into account.
