A man was today given a suspended sentence and an order to refund the victim of a stolen mobile phone after pleading guilty to the theft during a night out at a Qawra bar.

Romanian-born Daniel Gheorghe State, 28, currently working in Malta as a carpenter, stood before duty magistrate Aaron Bugeja and admitted to having taken the Samsung device, worth some €250, which he said he found on the bar counter. The aggravated theft took place close to 2am on the morning of September 14.

Prosecuting officer inspector Godwin Scerri informed the court that the accused had been easily identified on CCTV footage retrieved from the bar, after a woman had reported that her mobile had gone missing when she left it momentarily unattended.

Upon the man’s own admission, the court, presided over by magistrate Aaron Bugeja, declared him guilty of the theft.

The court observed that the stolen phone had not been returned to its lawful owner, although the accused had agreed to fully reimburse the victim.

After noting the accused's early guilty plea, his full cooperation with the police and the fact that he had offered to reimburse the victim, the court condemned him to a jail term of 12 months suspended for two years.

The court also ordered the self-confessed thief to pay his victim the €250 within 15 days, explaining in clear and simple words the man’s responsibility at law.

Lawyer Leontine Calleja was legal aid.