A 29-year-old Somali was this morning given a 15 month jail term suspended for four years after he admitted stealing a handbag and offending two people with his behaviour.

Ahmed Sharif Haydar Issa, who lives in Malta but does not have a fixed address, was in Antoine de Paule Square, Paola on September 15.

He was also convicted of indecent exposure.

Police inspector Spiridione Zammit said Ms Bugeja was willing to forgive the aggressor but she was afraid of him. He requested a protection order for Ms Bugeja.

Mr Issa said that he acted the way he did because he had been drunk.

He took €15 out of his pocket and passed them over to the inspector to return to Ms Bugeja, saying that was the money she had had in her bag.

Mr Issa was also fined €25, which sum has to be paid within a week.

The court also issued a three- year protection order on Ms Bugeja and Mr Caruana and warned the aggressor that if he breached the order, he would be liable to a fine of €2,329 or a six-month prison term.