'I give you my word, I will not commit another crime again' would-be burglar tells court

A court has given a second chance to a first time offender, arrested after an attempted break-in

A court has given a second chance to a first time offender, arrested after an attempted break-in.

32 year-old Ashraf Sultan, who holds a Maltese ID card, but required an Arabic language translator, was arrested after trying to break into a house in Iklin.

The attempt is understood to have been thwarted when he was spotted. Sultan had tried to escape the scene on foot but was caught by the police and arrested.

Arraigned before magistrate Neville Camilleri this morning by Inspector Roderick Spiteri, Sultan, his arms folded in front of him, pleaded guilty to charges of attempted theft and wilful damage to property.

The court gave him time to reconsider, warning that he may be jailed if he persisted in his guilty plea. “I committed the crime, I give you my word, I will not commit another crime again,” said the accused.

In his submissions on punishment, Inspector Spiteri did not object to a suspended sentence, saying it should be a long one, in order to serve as a deterrent.

Lawyer Christopher Chircop, legal aid, pointed out that the accused had collaborated with police and had a clean criminal record, “He made a mistake and needs his ear pulled, but a person deserves a second chance.”

The court condemned the man to 16 months in prison, suspended for 2 years.