Unlicensed car lands man in jail

Abdul Baset Dabia, a 37-year-old Libyan national, was yesterday jailed for a year and fined Lm1,500 for driving a car without a licence and without insurance cover.

The man was originally charged with the theft of a vehicle and with having encouraged another person to commit a crime in September this year.

His co-accused, Mustafa Kabes, had been jailed for eight months after he admitted to stealing two mobile phones and other items and relapsing.

Many of the charges brought against Mr Baset Dabia fell through as the court believed his version of facts, confirmed by Mr Kabes, that he had nothing to do with a theft committed by his co-accused.

Both men claimed that Mr Baset Dabia had simply given a lift to his colleague and was unaware that his passenger was about to commit a theft.

The accused had been cleared of stealing a car.

Mr Baset Dabia had taken the car in question, which belonged to his girl friend, without her permission. He had even hot-wired it as he did not have a key. However, the court argued, his girlfriend had not reported the car stolen, which means he had merely taken the car without her permission but did not steal it.

He was also accused of being a relapser but the police failed to prove this.

Nonetheless, the magistrate took into consideration a one-year suspended sentence he had received in March this year and rendered it active.

Magistrate Giovanni Grixti found him guilty of driving the car without a licence and an insurance policy and fined him Lm1,500 fine.