Necklace thief has sentence revised from probation to 8 years in prison on appeal

A drug-addicted youth who robbed a number of elderly women has seen his sentence balloon to eight years imprisonment by an appeals court judge who felt his original punishment was too light.

Jacob Rakban 24, from Mtarfa had admitted to a series of necklace thefts from elderly women in July 2016.

The Former Hamrun Spartans youth team player had pleaded guilty to five counts of theft, one count of attempted theft and one count of recidivism before magistrate Audrey Demicoli. Rakban, whose victims were all female and aged between 55 and 83, had struck six times in Mosta, Naxxar, San Gwann and Qormi between 13 May and 16 June 2016.

The court of Magistrates had sentenced him to three years under probation on October 26, 2017, prompting the Attorney General to file an appeal.

Judge Edwina Grima, deciding the appeal, ruled that it was evident that the first court gave an alternative punishment that was not envisaged in the law “neither was it deserved by Jacob Rakban.”

“This because the punishment for the charges he faced in their maximum exceeded seven years imprisonment.”

The youth’s behaviour post-sentencing led a Probation Officer to tell the court in no uncertain terms that Rakban was not an ideal candidate for probation.

Judge Grima said her hands were tied, both by the law which disqualified Rakban from probation, but also by the rights of the victims, all elderly ladies, one of whom was injured.

“It is only by jailing him that this Court can do justice, not just with the victims and with society in general, but with the appellant (Rakban) whose singular hope for rehabilitation exists within the Corradino Correctional Facility, where he should have the opportunity to start following a drug rehabilitation programme again.”

The court upheld the Attorney General’s appeal and revised Rakban’s sentence to 8 years imprisonment.