A man whose last brush with the law dated back ten years has been handed a suspended sentence and warned by a magistrate not to revert to bad habits.

Jamal El Badawi, a 36-year old Greek national residing at Ħamrun, got into trouble with police while on a night out in Paceville, when he kicked up a fuss after ending up drunk.

Subsequent investigations linked him to the theft of an iPhone some three weeks earlier in the same locality on the night of New Year’s Day.

During Friday's arraignment, the prosecution pressed charges related to the theft and threats against police officers. Me El Badawi was also charged with having refused to obey legitimate police orders and with breaching public order.

The man openly declared in court that he was sorry for all the trouble caused and promised not to repeat his wrongdoing.

Magistrate Charmaine Galea, presiding over the hearing, was informed that the stolen mobile had since been returned to its lawful owner.

In the light of all circumstances and upon the man’s own admission, the court declared him guilty and condemned him to a one-year jail term suspended for two years, as well as a fine of €1,100.

Back in 2007, the accused had landed a 13-month jail term, later converted to a suspended sentence on appeal, after his defence counsel had argued that the man had been wrongly implicated in the alleged rape of a woman inside a Floriana subway.

Inspector Nikolai Sant prosecuted. Lawyers Franco Debono and Amadeus Cachia were counsel for the defence.