A 44-year-old woman and her 26-year-old son have been given a two-year jail term suspended for four years after they were found guilty of slightly injuring a man and stealing his mobile phone.

Rosaline Xuereb and son Ian, of Floriana, injured Eritrean Ftsum Sbhatu last October.

He told the police Mr Xuereb hit him on the neck as Ms Xuereb covered his mouth at a garden in Floriana. Besides his mobile phone, they also stole around €130 in cash before running off.

Mr Sbhatu walked to the Italian Embassy and tried to explain what happened using gestures and broken English to the soldier stationed outside.

The soldier, Stephen Meilak, said Mr Sbhatu was crying and he contacted the police for help.

Although both mother and son denied attacking Mr Sbhatu or stealing his mobile phone and money, Magistrate Marseann Farrugia said she did not believe them as they changed their version of events several times.

She noted they both had a drug addiction problem.