Two young men’s thirst for adventure landed them in court after they were caught sneaking on to the catamaran to Sicily by onboard security. 

The twenty-year olds, Miguel Alberto Armas Zambrano of Venezuela and Javier Ocana De Lucas from Spain, were handed a suspended sentence after they admitted to having entered a restricted area at the boarding quay, boarded the catamaran without authorisation and attempted to depart from Malta without having notified immigration authorities.

The two accused, wearing t-shirts, shorts and flip-flops, sat alongside the court-appointed Spanish- speaking interpreter, a repentant look upon their face as their escapade was explained in open court.

It was pointed out that the youths could have spared all this trouble since they had all the necessary requisites to travel across Europe. One was an EU national while the other had a Spanish residence permit.

Although they had cooperated fully with the police, they needed to be taught a lesson, the prosecution insisted.

“This was a prank gone wrong,” rebutted lawyer Joseph Ellis, appointed to assist the accused as legal aid. He told the court, presided over by magistrate Josette Demicoli, that his clients were very sorry, pointing out that they had filed an early guilty plea and had fully cooperated with the police.

The court, after having heard submissions by both parties and upon the accused's own admission, declared them guilty and condemned them each to a jail term of four months suspended for two years.

Having been warned about the serious repercussions of any future brush with the law, the two pranksters left the courtroom, one of them bowing and waving with a mischievous grin upon his face.

Inspector Mario Haber prosecuted. Lawyer Joseph Ellis was legal aid.

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