A man was jailed today after he was caught stealing a cigarette machine, having drawn attention by the noise that was created.

A British tourist, Deborah Elliot, had testified in court that from her room balcony at the British Hotel in Valletta she had heard a loud crash on the night of November 18, 2009. 

She looked down and saw two men pushing a cigarette machine down the steps in the road. 

The two men then left only to return a few minutes later and push the machine from the steps onto the road and past Victoria Gate.

It resulted later that the men had broken into Café De Baron in Battery Street and taken the machine.

The police later charged Curtis Bakoush, 20, Annise Bejaoui, 20 and Malcolm Mercieca, 24, all from Valletta.

The court cases against Mr Mercieca and Mr Bakoush are still pending while Mr Bejaoui admitted to his involvement and was jailed for two years.

Magistrate Audrey Demicoli noted that Mr Bejaoui had already been given chances to reform yet at the age of 20 he had already been given a three year probation term and failed to take heed. Therefore,  a jail term was called for.