Two minors involved in collision during joyride

A 17-year-old boy was yesterday put on probation for 18 months and fined Lm30 for taking a car on a joyride and colliding into another car.

His 16-year-old friend was conditionally discharged for a year.

The Naxxar boys, whose names are not being published because they are minors, were found guilty of taking Andreas Nelles' Mini Minor on March 4 in the evening without the explicit intention to steal it.

They were, in fact, cleared of stealing the car after Magistrate Consuelo Scerri Herrera heard how they meant to return the car to its owner but did not do so only because they became scared after the accident.

The magistrate also heard the 17-year-old boy plead guilty to driving the Mini Minor without a licence and insurance cover and failing to stop to give his particulars to police after he was involved in a traffic collision with Dario Pirotta's Renault Clio.

He was also found guilty of damaging the Clio and was banned from driving for a year.

In handing down judgment, Magistrate Scerri Herrera took into consideration the boys' clean criminal record and their young age.

She also noted that they had fully cooperated with police investigators.

Police Inspector Simon Galea and Dennis Theuma prosecuted.