Drunk man 'hotwired cars to go home' court told

The sensible option would have been to call a taxi, but a young man has given an emphatic example of what not to do when drunk, sleepy and worried about getting home.

Timmie Silverstranden, 29, was arraigned before magistrate Monica Vella this morning after unsuccessfully trying to hotwire two parked cars in a confused attempt at transporting himself home after a night’s drinking.

Eyewitnesses called the police to Triq ix-Xatt, Sliema on Wednesday night as the Swede smashed his way into a Peugeot 106 with a rock, before turning his attention to a Ford Ka. His attempts at hotwiring both cars failed.

Inspector Bernardette Valletta charged the man with criminal damage and attempted theft, as well as with being drunk and incapable of handling himself in public.

The man pleaded guilty, promising to make good for the damages within six months. In view of his early guilty plea and his obligation to compensate the car owners, the court handed him a two year prison sentence, suspended for four years.

Lawyer Yanika Bugeja was legal aid