Reform or die, court tells troubled teen

A court has jailed a 19-year-old youth for a string of theft-related offences this morning, warning him that if not tackled, his drug addiction would be the end of him.

19-year-old Justin Mamo appeared before magistrate Joseph Mifsud this morning, charged with stealing from a Qormi kebab shop, a pharmacy in Sliema and attempting to rob a Qormi sweet shop between the 30 September and 1 October this year. The crimes were rendered aggravated by means, time and the value of the items stolen. 

Police inspectors Kylie Borg and Mark Anthony Mercieca also accused Mamo, who lives in the care of the Salesians in Sliema, of insulting or threatening two police officers, disobeying their lawful orders and breaching a probation order he had been given just last month.

Lawyer Martin Fenech entered a guilty plea on the youth's behalf.

The magistrate sternly rebuked the accused, telling him that he would be jailed for this offence and needed to think about what to do with his life upon his release.

“You have three choices: leave prison and rebuild your life; leave prison and become a career criminal; or end up in the cemetery within a very short span of time.”

Mamo was handed an 18-month custodial sentence, the court recommending that he be held at Mount Carmel Hospital's forensic ward in order to ensure he receive care for his mental health.

“I'm going further than just prison,” the magistrate said. “I am also placing you under a three-year treatment order. You will have help to overcome your drug addiction and face your problems. If I don't send you to prison today, the next time, we will be making your funeral arrangements.”