Suspended jail term

A 25-year-old man was yesterday handed an 18-month jail sentence suspended for three years after he admitted to stealing money from a vending machine in Gudja.

Keith Darmanin of Paola plea-ded guilty to taking the money from a vending machine outside Lazda Supermarket on July 13, 2003. He also admitted to committing a crime during the operative term of a conditional discharge.

Before handing down judgment, Magistrate Audrey Demicoli took into consideration Mr Darmanin's admission and a pre-sentencing report produced by his probation officer.

The court noted that a prison term would not be ideal in Mr Darmanin's situation and putting him under a supervision order would help him address his drug problem.

The court ordered that Mr Darmanin be closely monitored by his probation officer in order to follow his progress throughout the 18 months of the suspended sentence.

Police Inspector Christopher Pullicino prosecuted.

Lawyers Franco Debono and Charmaine Cherett appeared for Mr Darmanin.