Expensive night out for drunk French student

A young French student who raided an expensive wine cellar whilst roaring drunk has admitted to related charges.

The 18-year-old from Paris was charged with aggravated theft from a commercial wine cellar. He was also charged with causing damage to the shop window and being drunk in public.

Inspector Bernardette Valletta explained to Magistrate Gabriella Vella that the youth and a friend had got drunk in Paceville and then used a stone to break the shop’s window. “They drank everything,” said the inspector, adding that the youths had been so drunk that they had also taken dummy bottles of alcohol from the shop’s display case.

The accused’s friend left Malta the next day, the court was told, but police succeeded in identifying the accused from CCTV footage. He was found to be living in the same street as the shop he robbed.

The youth pleaded guilty to the charges. Lawyer Joe Brincat, appearing as legal aid to the accused, did not contest the valuations, both of the damage and of the items stolen.

The youth apologised for his actions and was ready to repay the value of the alcohol stolen, said the lawyer, blaming the incident on “youthful folly.”

The court, after seeing the charges and guilty plea, found him guilty and sentenced the youth to 1 year in prison, suspended for 2 years. It also ordered him to pay €535 for the damages he had caused. The magistrate warned him that failure to pay within 6 months would result in his re-arrest, even if he was back in France.