Three Bulgarian women were handed a suspended sentence after pleading guilty to stealing €170 from an elderly woman at a Valletta clothes shop.

The court heard that Evgenia Georgieva Simeonova, 23, Elena Kolyuva Ivanova, 33, and a 16-year-old had returned the money to the victim. Their interpreter clarified that they are Bulgarian gypsies.

Ms Simeonova was handed a two-month prison sentence suspended for a year. Ms Ivanova and the 16-year-old were given a one-month sentence suspended for a year, after pleading guilty to assisting Ms Simeonova. The three are expected to leave the island tonight.

Inspectors Jeffrey Scicluna and Daryl Borg prosecuted.

In a second case, a 20-year-old Somalian was given a three-month prison sentence suspended for one year after he pleaded guilty to using a false document.

Abdullahi Muse Mohamed was also accused of forging a document, which his legal aid Martin Fenech disputed.

Inspector Frankie Sammut prosecuted.

In a separate case, a 31-year-old Frenchman today pleaded not guilty to raping a 23-year-old Spanish woman in Pembroke.

The man was accused of raping the woman in the early hours of Wednesday. Both the accused and the alleged victim are English language students.

He was also accused of restraining the woman without her consent.
The accused was not granted bail. The case will continue to be heard in September. The woman is expected to leave Malta on Monday.

The court, presided by Magistrate Consuelo Scerri Herrera, heard the woman's testimony behind closed doors. Inspector Trevor Micallef prosecuted.