A drug addict with a serious addiction problem was today sentenced to nine months in jail after he admitted to mugging two women in May and June and stealing two gold chokers they were wearing. 

Shalon Abela, 22, from Qormi, pleaded guilty to snatching the choker of a 60-year-old woman as she walked through Eldorado Street in Hamrun at around 1pm on May 27. The jewellery was worth some €500. 

He adopted the same modus operandi to steal a gold necklace worn by a 64-year-old woman as she was walking through Anton Buttigieg Street in Hamrun at 2.30pm on June 14. The jewellery was worth €300. 

Mr Abela also pleaded guilty to being a relapser.

Defence lawyers Veronique Dalli and Dean Hili told Magistrate Antonio Vella that Mr Abela was admitting to the charges brought against him and was willing to start a drug rehabilitation programme to kick his drug habit.

She said the prosecution and defence had agreed on a nine-month jail term with a recommendation for a drug rehabilitation programme. Magistrate Vella agreed with the punishment and also with the recommendation.

Police Inspector Kurt Zahra prosecuted. 

 

Sign up to our free newsletters

Get the best updates straight to your inbox:
Please select at least one mailing list.

You can unsubscribe at any time by clicking the link in the footer of our emails. We use Mailchimp as our marketing platform. By subscribing, you acknowledge that your information will be transferred to Mailchimp for processing.