Jail, suspended sentences for car thieves

A man was yesterday jailed for 18 months and his two friends were given a suspended jail term after they admitted to breaking into a car.

Etienne Mizzi, 29, Anthony Zammit, 22, and a 17-year-old, all of Qormi, pleaded guilty to stealing a stereo and other items from a car and damaging it in Ta' Qali on Sunday night.

Mr Mizzi and the 17-year-old also admitted to breaching bail conditions while Mr Mizzi pleaded guilty to relapsing and Mr Zammit admitted to breaching the conditions of a previous release.

Magistrate Doreen Clarke ordered them to pay Lm200 each to the car owner.

Mr Mizzi was jailed for 18 months and fined Lm100 and the 17-year-old was given a two-month jail term suspended for two years and fined Lm200. Both had their bail revoked and the magistrate ordered that Mr Mizzi's Lm7,000 bail bond and the 17-year-old's Lm2,100 bond be forfeited in favour of the government.

Mr Zammit was given a one-year jail term suspended for two years and a previous suspended jail term was extended by a further two years.

Police Inspector Nezren Grixti prosecuted.

Lawyers Stefan Zrinzo Azzopardi, Mark Busuttil and Robert Abela were defence counsel.