Neven Cassar, 18, Darryl Camilleri, 19 and a 14 year old friend, all from Birzebbugia, admitted in court today to having stolen braclets from Mystic stationery on Tuesday evening. They also admitted handling stolen property and breaking open a Maltapost deposit box.

The total cost was €269.

They were placed under probation for two years and ordered to carry out 150 hours of community service each. They were also ordered to pay back the damage.

Magistrate Jacqueline Padovani gave them a stern telling off, warning them that they had come very very close to ruining the rest of their lives since, had the crime been more serious, it would have shown up on their record, making it very difficult for them to get a job.

She said that what they had done was very stupid and through the community service they would pay back the community for the damage they had caused.