Court puts handbag thief behind bars

A 26-year-old man was yesterday jailed for a total of three years and a month after he admitted to stealing a motorcycle and three handbags during the operative time of a suspended jail term.

Magistrate Consuelo Scerri Herrera heard Sylvester Cilia, of Zebbug, plead guilty to stealing the motorcycle and the bags last August and committing the crime after he had been given a two-year jail term suspended for four years in March last year. The magistrate heard how Mr Cilia had a drug problem and, in a pre-sentencing report, a probation officer recommended that he attend a rehabilitation programme.

The magistrate jailed Mr Cilia for 13 months for the theft and ordered that the two-year suspended jail term be put into effect, bringing the total jail term to three years and a month.

The magistrate also recommended that the prison authorities allow Mr Cilia to attend a drug rehabilitation programme while serving time.

Police Inspector Carmelo Magri prosecuted.