Seven young men from the Msida and Gzira area, aged between 15 and 25, this afternoon admitted to forming part of a gang to commit a crime between April 21 and 26 in the Gzira/Sliema area.

The police had been alerted to a large gang of youths who regularly attacked other young people without provocation and disturbing the peace in the area. Several police reports were filed, including by foreign students.

Andrea Skotadis, 19 and Raymond Gatt, 25, were given a six month jail term suspended to a year.

The others - three 17 year olds, a 16 year old and a 15 year old were put on probabation of between one and three years.

Some also admitted to assault and harassment.

Magistrate Antonio Mizzi told the young men he was very tempted to throw them in jail as besides the seriousness of their crime they also put Malta in a bad light.

“If you ever do something like this again, you will end up in front of me because I am in charge of the Gzira district and it will be a rocket to Corradino,” he told them.