A 20-year-old Saudi Arabian studying in Malta has been handed a suspended jail term and had his driving licence suspended for a year after he admitted to smashing his rented car into a wall in Gzira last month and fleeing the scene of the accident.

Magistrate Josette Demicoli heard how the man was driving his rented Peugeot 208 back home at 7am on February 22 when he lost control of the vehicle and crashed into a residence in Nazju Ellul Street.

He was uninjured, got out of the car and left the scene. Inside the car, the police found a photocopy of his passport and traced him to an apartment nearby where they found him asleep. The police also found a small piece of cannabis resin.

He also pleaded guilty to driving the car without an insurance cover but defence lawyers David Camilleri and Joseph Gatt said it was the responsibility of the car rental firm to ensure that the person renting a car was insured. It resulted that the insurance was for any driver over 21 years of age when the Saudi student was 20.

The lawyers told the court that their client was in Paceville, had been beaten up and had his wallet and mobile phone stolen. Agitated, he drove home and crashed into a wall. He was still agitated when he left the scene, they said.

Magistrate Demicoli jailed the man for eight months suspended for 18 months and disqualified him from driving for a year.

Police Inspector Jason Sultana prosecuted.