A man was this morning put on probation for three years after pleading guilty to trying to steal a car.

55-year-old Joseph Grech, known as Iz-Zinnanna, was caught red handed trying to steal the car in August 2006. He was also accused with assaulting a police constable who intervened to stop him.

Mr Grech, who is from Qawra, also admitted to insulting two police officers, disobeying police and relapsing.

A probation officer explained that, in the past years, Mr Grech had overcome his drug addiction and had settled down with his partner with whom he had three children.

Magistrate Consuelo Scerri Herrera, however, said she could not ignore the fact that he had 11 convictions on his criminal record that included theft, assault of public officers and drug trafficking and possession.

For these reasons she put him under the supervision of a probation officer for three years - the maximum period allowed by law.