A 30-year-old man today plead guilty to stealing a pair of designer sunglasses from a shop in Qormi.

Petrov Evgeniy was charged with stealing the sunglasses, which were eventually returned to the shop, Sun Lab, on Triq l-Iljun, Qormi, on June 9.

Although he was represented by legal aid lawyer Mark Mifsud Cutajar, Mr Petrov, a Bulgarian, spoke to the magistrate directly when he entered his guilty plea.

“Dear Ms Magistrate I understand what I have been accused of. I regret what I have done,” he said from the dock.

While he was ready to face any punishment the court would deem fit to hand down, Mr Evgeniy pled for this not to include time behind bars.

During the short time he had been held under arrest, he said had felt what it meant to be free and did not want to jeopardise that again.

Inspector Kylie Borg appeared for the prosecution.

Magistrate Monica Vella handed down a six-month prison sentence, suspended for four years.

On receiving his sentence Mr Evgeniy flashed a beaming smile, made the sign of the cross, and could be heard saying “I can’t believe I am free”.

In other court cases on Sunday, a 23-year-old Somali was charged with simple drug possession.

Daud Shiehk Ahmed, plead guilty to being in possession of cannabis in St Julian’s in the early hours of Sunday morning.

He was also condemned to six months prison, suspended for four years.

Inspector Trevor Micallef appeared for the prosecution, and Mark Mifsud Cutajar also appeared as legal aid lawyer.

Separately, a 27-year-old man pleaded not guilty to being in possession of cocaine on Friday night.

Awet Estifanos Weldetinsae, an Eritrean, insisted he was innocent of the charges being put against him.

He was remanded in custody.

Inspector Matthew Spagnol appeared for the prosecution.