Man sentenced to eight months in prison after pleading guilty to theft

A man has been jailed for eight months for theft of a mobile phone, committing a crime while on probation and relapsing.

Kaled Mukthar Ben Gamhur, 37, born in Libya and a resident of Valletta, was charged with having stolen the gadget from a vehicle parked close to Castille Square, Valletta, on Sunday afternoon, between 4:00pm and 6:00pm.

On the man’s own admission, presiding magistrate Joe Mifsud, sentenced the man to an effective jail term of eight months.

After hearing that the accused suffered from drug addiction, the magistrate made a formal request to the Corradino Correctional Facility director for the accused to be provided with drug rehabilitation services while serving his sentence.

The magistrate strongly urged the accused to make the most of his time behind bars to overcome his drug-related problems.

"In prison you will receive all the help you need. Do not waste this opportunity," the magistrate said.

Inspector Daryl Borg prosecuted.

Lawyer Leontine Abela was legal aid for the accused.