A French student has been acquitted of stealing his friends’ laptops during a holiday in Malta, as the court said the version of events given by the alleged victims was not credible.

Last Sunday, 22-year-old Maxime Tarraso was apprehended at Malta International Airport. He was carrying an Apple Macbook Air and an Asus laptop.

On Monday, he was arraigned in connection with the theft of the two laptops from an apartment in Tigne, where he was staying while on holiday with his friends Fatoumata Tidiana Kiota and Caroline Le Roux.

In its decision, the court said that the version of events given by the two ladies, who claimed the accused had taken their laptops without their consent, made little sense as he was a close friend.

“Objectively it made little sense for the accused to take the laptop of his former girlfriend [Ms Le Roux],” the court said.

On the other hand Magistrate Claire Stafrace Zammit said the case made by the accused, that Ms Le Roux wanted to get revenge after he decided to quit the relationship was more credible.

The accused also claimed that his friends had agreed to give him their laptops which he would then return once they returned to France at the end of their holiday.

In view of this the court acquitted the French student from the charges brought against him.

Inspector Neville Mercieca prosecuted whereas Leontine Calleja was defence counsel.