Restaurant thief imprisoned for 18 months

A 32-year-old man has been sentenced to 18 months in prison after pleading guilty to having committed theft from two restaurants in the space of just over a month.

Hamdi Habib Mohammed Shedi, a Tunisian national living in Floriana, was charged with having, on 29 September at around 10am, stolen cash, amounting to around €120, from the Patakka restaurant in Valletta.

He was also charged with having stolen a woman’s handbag at the Aaron’s Kitchen restaurant, also in Valletta, on 1 November at around 8pm. The handbag contained a small amount of cash and credit cards, the police said.

Shedi, who is a recidivist, wasn’t caught by the police when he stole from the first restaurant in September, but after the second episode of theft, he was identified and apprehended.

The accused appeared in the court room to have been considering submitting a plea of not guilty, but on further consideration, pleaded guilty to the charges brought against him.

The court, presided over by Magistrate Ian Farrugia, sentenced the man to 18 months in prison.

Lawyer Mark Mifsud Cutajar was legal aid for the accused.

Inspector Daryl Borg prosecuted.