Former prisoner given fresh chance not to return to crime

Former prisoner Sandro Mifsud, 37, of St Paul's Bay today admitted in court to being an accomplice in the theft of two beach bags last month.

Mr Mifsud, who was recently released from prison after a 12 year term, was placed under probation for two years. Magistrate Doreen Clarke told him that this was an opportunity to start a new life and get rid of people who had been leading him astray.

She said he could not kick the drug habit on his own and needed help from a residential drug rehabilitation programme.

Mr Mifsud said that he could not leave his mother alone at home.

The magistrate asked Mrs Mifsud to approach the bench from the public gallery and told her that all of her help would still not be enough and that he needed the drug rehabilitation programme to completely kick the habit.