Five say they merely pushed car not tried to steal it

A group of five Irish holidaymakers were yesterday conditionally discharged for two years after pleading guilty to a charge they deemed excessive.

The Irish nationals insisted they were not trying to steal a car, as the police were claiming, but simply moving it.

Four of the accused are minors and the fifth is a 22-year-old baker.

At first they pleaded not guilty to attempting to steal a car in Buġibba on Thursday night.

Lawyers Pawlu Lia, Andy Ellul and Vince Micallef told the court that their clients were not trying to steal the car but simply pushed it out of its parking space while fooling around when they were drunk. This was not tantamount to attempting to steal the car, they argued. Police Inspector Therese Micallef said that, according to law, anyone who moves anything without the owner's permission is considered to be trying to steal the item.

Although the defence team was not happy with the charge, they filed a guilty plea, especially since their clients will be leaving Malta on Tuesday.

Magistrate Lawrence Quintano conditionally discharged the five Irish nationals for two years.