A  man who has had several brushes with the law over the past six months will be spending the next two years behind bars after he was found guilty of a number of attempted thefts from vehicles.

Mohamed Mokhtar Mohamed Jamhur, 25, Tripoli-born and residing in Valletta, was arraigned last Friday just hours after his arrest near the Floriana health centre.

The court, presided by magistrate Joseph Mifsud, heard how at around 3.45am the police were tipped-off via an anonymous call that someone was trying to break into vehicles parked along the Granaries.

Converging onto the scene, police had discovered two vehicles with clear signs of attempted break in. Another car parked in Mediterranean Road, Valletta had likewise been targeted.

The court observed that last November, Mr Jamhur had been given a suspended sentence following his conviction for a crime of passion when he had stabbed his wife's lover.

Later in February, the operative period of that suspended sentence was extended following Mr Jamhur's admission to complicity in a series of attempted thefts from vehicles in Valletta.

Magistrate Mifsud remarked that although all foreign nationals were welcome to Malta, they ought not to abuse the people's long-standing reputation of hospitality.

“Those who transgress our laws, though a minority, cast all other immigrants in a bad light,” the court observed, urging the authorities not to tolerate such abuse.

Taking note of the man's admission and his declaration in court where he openly apologised for all he had done, the court found him guilty and condemned him to a jail term of seven months.

Since this conviction brought into effect the earlier suspended sentence of 18 months, the accused will spend 25 months in jail.

The court also ordered the man to be placed under a Treatment Order for three years to be helped combat his personal problems which appeared to be linked to drug abuse.