Man helped elderly woman cross the road before robbing her

A 33-year-old drug addict from Valletta has been jailed for seven months after pleading guilty to robbing a 73-year-old woman of her handbag.

The incident occurred on 19 September at around 12:30 in Hamrun, when the accused, Stephen Nappa, helped Mary Chircop cross the street with her walking stick.

Sources close to the investigation said that the accused then put his belongings into the woman’s handbag. Upon crossing the street, the accused stole his victim’s handbag, making off with €80.

It is understood that his victim started screaming and the accused fled the scene of the crime.

In 2010, the accused was jailed for ten months after admitting to threatening to burn Fr Saviour Grima alive while the priest was saying Mass.

In its decree, the court, presided by Magistrate Doreen Clarke, took into account the accused’s criminal record and his cooperation with the police.

The magistrate however noted that the accused had relapsed and consequently jailed him for seven months.

The court also ordered that the accused undergoes a drug rehabilitation programme.

Inspector James Grech prosecuted.