A 27-year-old Romanian shoplifter was today given a 15 month jail term suspended for three years after he admitted nicking two mobile phones and a pair of sunglasses while distracting his targets with a card displaying his supposedly sick daughter.

Nicolas Boldizar, who said he was unemployed but did the odd job, pleaded guilty to the theft of two mobile phones from a San Gwann shop - one of which was being repaired and another belonging to an employee - totalling some €480.

He also stole a pair of sunglasses valued at around €100 from another San Gwann shop, using the same tactic of diverting his targets' attention by showing them cards of his purportedly sick daughter.

The accused immediately admitted to all the charges brought against him.

"I was drunk, I apologise, I regret my actions," he told Magistrate Josette Demicoli.

Prosecuting officer Nikolai Sant did not insist on an effective imprisonment sentence since the accused had a clean criminal record, had immediately excused himself and had returned all the stolen items.

Legal aid lawyer Yana Micallef Stafrace appeared for the accused.

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