Two pickpockets jailed after stealing cash and bank cards from tourists

Two men have been jailed for pickpocketing after pleading guilty to theft charges upon arraignment, with the court observing that it didn’t make sense to spare them prison sentences solely on the grounds of their early admission.

Andrei Nistor, aged 51 and 38-year-old Lucian Serban, both from Romania, appeared in court on Wednesday, charged with stealing from two tourists in Rabat earlier this month. Nistor alone was also charged with recidivism. 

Prosecuting police inspector Godwin Scerri told the court that the defendants had stolen around €200 in cash as well as bank cards. 

The two defendants pleaded guilty to the charges against him during their arraignment. 

In their submissions on punishment, defence lawyers Lennox Vella and Mark Mifsud Cutajar told the court that the men would be returning the stolen money and stressed that the charges were not aggravated. 

Magistrate Charmaine Galea warned the men that they would not escape punishment simply because of their early guilty pleas and promises to pay back the money they had stolen. 

“We cannot allow thieves to avoid prison time simply because they returned what they had stolen.” 

Serban was sentenced to imprisonment for three months. Nistor, in view of his recidivism, was jailed for six months.

Lawyer Lennox Vella assisted Nistor. Lawyer Mark Mifsud Cutajar appeared for Serban as legal aid counsel.