Youth admits to buying phone, stolen in bicycle snatch-and-grab

A young man will be spending the next 18 months under the shadow of  a suspended sentence  after a court found him guilty of being in possession of a stolen mobile phone.

The theft took place on the Gzira front in July 2011. The court had been told by prosecuting inspector Keith Arnaud how a German tourist had been walking in the area at around 1:00 AM when a young man snatched his bag, which contained the phone and other personal belongings, from his shoulder as he sped past him on a bicycle.

Police investigations resulted in the stolen phone being found in the possession of the 14 year-old accused, who was arrested and questioned.  The young man had made a statement, admitting that he had bought the phone from someone whom he did not know for €70, also confirming that the SIM card being used in the phone was his.

Magistrate Doreen Clarke noted, however, that no evidence tying the accused to the theft itself had been exhibited and in view of this, could only find him guilty of receiving stolen property.

The court, taking into consideration the young man’s age, the nature of the offence and his "relatively clean" police conduct, handed the accused a two month custodial sentence, suspended for 18 months, also holding him responsibility for the payment of  €170 in court expenses..