Young thief returns stolen handbag, handed suspended sentence

19-year-old Somalian handed suspended sentence after being caught red handed stealing handbag belonging to late-night bather 

A 19-year-old Somalian resident at the Hal Far Open Centre was today handed an 11-month prison term suspended for a year after admitting to stealing a handbag at St George’s Bay.

Presiding Magistrate Josette Demicoli heard how on Saturday, the accused, Mohammed Hassan Abdillahi, was arrested by a police officer patrolling the beach after he was spotted stealing a handbag containing the belongings of a young woman from Mosta.

The handbag, which is worth €17, contained several personal items including a Samsung mobile worth €500, a pair of glasses worth €400, and a wallet containing €20.

The theft occurred on Saturday at around 10pm.

Standing in court, the accused, who said is unemployed, pleaded guilty to the theft and returned the handbag back to the victim. In her judgement, Magistrate Josette Demicoli warned the accused to reform or else he could find himself behind bars.

The Somalian was also handed an 11- month prison sentence suspended for one year.

Police Inspector Carol Fabri prosecuted, while Lawyer Joe Ellis was legal aid.