A police inspector told a court today that five mugging cases were being reported every day, and their number was increasing.

Inspector James Grech was testifying during the arraignment of a 17-year-old Somali, who stands accused of mugging a young Irish woman yesterday and selling off her mobile phone.

The accused is resident at Hal Far open centre. The inspector said he was repeatedly ignoring the authorities. He refused to take his medicine and was often missing from the centre.

The inspector said that mugging victims were often being injured in their struggle with their assailants.

The prosecution in this particular case was seeking an effective jail term. There was nowhere on the island where young offenders could be effectively treated, and keeping them in the street would not solve the problem, the inspector said.

Defence lawyer Noel Bartolo said this teenager needed help, not prison.

Magistrate Antonio Vella noted that the accused was a first time offender and sentenced him to six months imprisonment suspended for a year. He also placed him under the supervision of a probation officer for three years.

The Irish woman, who was present in court, had her bag returned to her. Nothing was missing except her mobile phone.