Two Libyans jailed for petty crimes in separate arraingments

A 35-year-old Libyan man who had admitted to breaking into a parked car in Valletta last week, has been jailed for nine months this morning.

Magistrate Joe Mifsud had previously heard officers explain that Abdulhamid Saied, from Tripoli, had been caught in the act of breaking into a car, parked in Strait Street in Valletta, on 23 February, having used a brick to smash a side window and causing €1,040 worth of damage in the process.

Inspector Daryl Borg had charged Saied with attempted theft, criminal damage, threatening police officers, possession of a knife in public without permission from the Commissioner of Police, public drunkenness, disobeying police orders and breaching the peace. 

Saied had pleaded guilty to all charges.

The court sentenced the man to nine months' imprisonment and fined him €800. It also ordered him to pay for the repairs within one year of his release from prison.  

In a separate arraignment this morning, a Libyan refugee was sentenced to nine months in prison for stealing a handbag.

Magistrate Joe Mifsud was told how Mohamed Rajab Ali Alsagheer had stolen the handbag and its contents: a Samsung Galaxy Note 4 mobile phone worth €600 and €80 in cash, from St. Augustine Street in St Julian’s on 7 February.

The court had heard the victim testify that all the items which had been stolen had been returned.

Alsagheer pleaded guilty to the charges, which had included breaching the conditions of a treatment order previously imposed by a court and was handed a nine-month custodial sentence.

Inspector Trevor Micallef prosecuted.