A 25-year-old man from Fgura who had a turbulent adolescence, was negatively affected by bad company and has since abandoned the criminal life has been given a lifeline by a magistrate who found him guilty of robbing his hometown's girl guides.
Ian Mizzi, who was 19 at the time of the robbery in May 2009, broke into the Fgura Girl Guides' headquarters with two 'friends'. From there he stole soft toys, stationery, a first aid box, trophies, torches and several accessories used by the guides. The value of the items stolen was around €300.
Magistrate Marseann Farrugia heard Mr Mizzi plead guilty to the theft, to damaging property, to relapsing and to committing the crime during the operative term of a conditional discharge.
In a pre-sentencing report prepared by his probation officer, the court heard how Mr Mizzi had a troubled youth and had got involved with a bad circle of friends. The magistrate heard that he had committed no other crimes after this break-in, had ditched the gang and had settled in a stable job.
These positive developments could not be ignored, the magistrate said as she pondered on the punishment, also after she heard the prosecuting officer agreeing with the proposal. She upheld the conclusions of the pre-sentencing report that an effective jail term, given the circumstances, would not be ideal.
Magistrate Farrugia said she saw enough reasons to "encourage him" by imposing a punishment that was below the minimum prescribed by law. She condemned him to 100 hours of community work and ordered him to pay a third of the value of the stolen items, equivalent to €100.
The magistrate noted that he had been conditionally discharged in September 2008 after he was convicted of stealing a car's registration plates and using them on another car.
By law, this had to be converted to a prison sentence but in view of the probation officer's recommendations, Magistrate Farrugia gave him a lifeline by jailing him for 10 months suspended for two years, urging him to continue on the right path.
Police Inspector Spiridione Zammit prosecuted while lawyer Stefano Filletti appeared for Mr Mizzi.