Tourist Jailed After Leaving Cocaine and Ecstasy Behind in Hotel Room

Oct 12 2024

A tourist who left 41 sachets of cocaine and ecstasy pills in his hotel room after checking out has been jailed following his admission that the drugs were his.

The drugs were discovered by a cleaner at the St Paul’s Bay hotel, who found them inside an oven in the room after three guests had checked out. The substances included 41 sachets of cocaine, a brownish substance, and four ecstasy pills.

Later that day, around 8:30 pm, one of the former guests, 24-year-old British national Kane Dylan Bennington, contacted the hotel to report that he had forgotten his passport. Police were alerted, and Bennington, who is self-employed, was promptly arrested upon his return to the hotel.

He was subsequently arraigned and charged with possessing cocaine and ecstasy in circumstances suggesting the drugs were not solely for personal use. After consulting his legal aid lawyer, he pled guilty to the charges.

During the hearing, magistrate Noel Bartolo cautioned the defendant about the legal consequences of his guilty plea, including the possibility of imprisonment, and provided an opportunity to reconsider. However, Bennington confirmed his admission by raising his right hand and repeating, “I’m guilty.”

After hearing submissions, the court found Bennington guilty and sentenced him to an effective 18-month jail term, a sentence agreed upon by both the defense and prosecution. Additionally, the court issued a treatment order for the same duration, following the defense lawyer’s statement that Bennington was struggling with drug addiction.

Inspectors Francesco Mizzi and John Leigh Howard led the prosecution, while lawyer Ilona Schembri served as the legal aid attorney.

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Labour Lead By 12,000 Votes In Recent Vince Marmarà Survey

Oct 12 2024

A recent survey conducted by statistician and professor Vince Marmarà reveals that if a general election were held today, the Labour Party would secure a fourth consecutive victory, albeit with a significantly reduced margin of 12,000 votes.

Despite the party’s efforts to rejuvenate itself following underwhelming results in the recent MEP and Local Council elections, the poll indicates that their position remains relatively unchanged compared to previous wins by 8,000 and 20,000 votes.

The survey, along with others, highlights growing voter apathy toward the two main political parties, with 21.6% of respondents expressing support for ADPD, other alternatives, or remaining undecided.

The findings also suggest that under the current conditions, neither party would achieve an absolute majority, exceeding 50% of the vote.

This outcome contrasts sharply with a MaltaToday poll from two weeks earlier, which projected a 12,000-vote victory for the Nationalist Party.

In Marmarà’s survey ,nearly 40% of voters expressed a lack of trust in either Robert Abela or Bernard Grech as their preferred prime minister. Among them, 15% said they trust neither leader, 8% were unsure, and almost 17% indicated trust in other leaders.

Despite this, Abela remains significantly more trusted than Grech, with 36% of voters expressing confidence in him compared to Grech’s 24%, giving Abela a 12-point advantage.

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Young Hedgehog Healing After Signs Of Poisoning

Oct 12 2024

Xrobb L-Għaġin’s Nature Park and Wildlife Rehab Centre shared the story of little Munchkin, a young juvenile hedgehog who was found in Victoria Gozo showing symptoms of poisoning.

Munchkin was shaking, foaming at the mouth and was unable to walk.

‘She has been treated by our vet and is so far showing signs of improvement but she is still not out of the woods yet’, the wildlife team explained.

‘As she is still unable to walk, she also has to be given food and water by syringe to keep her strength up. If she had not been found by a member of the public, she definitely would not have survived.’

‘We urge people to consider the unintended victims of poisonings. Our vet suspects this was a case of snail poison but we cannot say for sure. Very often our local wildlife falls victim to poisons and pesticides that are left out intending to kill other species. Hedgehogs are a natural pest controller as they eat insects such as snails, slugs, worms, beetles and other insects.’

‘Thankfully it looks like this little one was found in time and our volunteers and Vets will continue to care for her in the hope that she will make a full recovery.’

All the animals rescued are protected species and it is illegal to keep them as pets or harm them in Malta.

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Malta Daily Top 3 Finalists For Start-Up Business Of The Year At Malta Business Awards

Oct 12 2024

We are excited to announce that MaltaDaily has proudly secured a position among the top three finalists for the highly coveted Start-Up Business of the Year award at this year’s Malta Business Awards.

The final ranking from the top three will be revealed on 15th November. Regardless of the outcome, we are incredibly proud of this achievement and the efforts that have propelled us to this point. Being recognised in such a prestigious category is a testament to the dedication and hard work of our entire team.

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While we eagerly await the final results, we would like to extend our heartfelt gratitude to our followers, partners, and our exceptional team for making this accomplishment possible.

In addition to our nomination for Start-Up Business of the Year, MaltaDaily has also been recognised in two other categories: the top 5 Small Business of the Year and the top 5 Young Entrepreneur of the Year, an acknowledgment of the leadership and vision of our founder and CEO, Gabriel Mifsud.

We look forward to sharing more updates soon and thank you once again for your continued support.

Stay tuned! 👀

#MaltaDaily