A 27-year-old man was jailed for six years today after he admitted in court to having stolen 19 gold bracelets as well as one necklace when he attacked eight elderly women in separate incidents in Msida, Hamrun and Blata l-Bajda over the past few weeks.

Claudio Mallia, of Valletta, admitted having, on June 1 at 7.45 a.m., stolen four gold bracelets belonging to Doris Debono, 67, whom he attacked in Msida.

On June 28 in the evening he attacked Vincenza Camilleri, 81 and stole three bracelets.

On the following day he attacked Maria Baldacchino Borg, 78 in Hamrun and took her bracelet.

On July 1, also in Hamrun, he attacked Antonia Zammit, 75, and took her four gold bracelets.

He robbed Dolores Camilleri, 88 of Floriana in the evening of July 2, slightly injuring her and stealing two gold bracelets.

On July 5 at 7 a.m. he stole a necklace from Maria Abela at Blata l-Bajda.

The next day at 7 a.m. he stole another two bracelets from Maria Baldacchino, 75, whom he attacked in Blata l-Bajda.

The last case took place on July 7 in Hamrun, when he stole three bracelets from Dolores Fauzza, 73.

He also admitted relapsing.