Two men arrested after being found in possession of tools used for break-ins have been handed a prison sentence after admitting to having conspired to commit a crime.

Ivan Georgiev Gyurov, a 28-year old tattoo artist living at St Paul’s Bay and Marin Stoyanov Minev, a 28-year old driver living in Birkirkara were stopped on Saturday night while driving a Hyundai i20.

Officers from the Rapid Intervention Unit were carrying out inspections in Triq Mikiel Anton Vassallo, St Julian’s at the time.

Tools used for break-ins, hoods and other items were found in the car, and both men, who are Bulgarian nationals, were arrested.

The two men were arraigned separately and both admitted to being involved in the attempted theft from shops the previous Sunday.

Mr Gyurov was separately charged over an armed robbery from a Mellieħa beach club in August, during which some €8,000 was stolen. He was further charged as a recidivist.

Mr Minev was separately charged over an armed robbery at a San Ġwann massage parlour back in October 2017. He was further charged with having held his victims against their will and also with having possessed a firearm while committing the hold up.

He was further accused of an earlier armed hold up from another San Ġwann establishment dating back to July 2015, with having held his victims against their will.

Both men were charged with recidivism.

“These were armed robberies, involving violence”, Inspector Fleri argued when making submissions on punishment.

Defence counsel Shazoo Ghaznavi countered that his client, Mr Minev, had entered an early guilty plea. As for the charge of recidivism, this related to offences committed in Bulgaria eight years ago, he noted.

The prosecution told the court that since the offences were committed within the European Union, they were still to be taken into consideration for recidivism purposes.

The court, presided over by magistrate Neville Camilleri, declared the man guilty upon his own admission and condemned him to a three-year effective jail term and a fine of €232.94.

As for Mr Gyurov, the court also declared him guilty upon his own admission and handed down a two-year effective jail term after taking note of his early guilty plea.

Lawyers Charlon Gouder and Shazoo Ghaznavi were defence counsel to Mr Minev.
Legal aid lawyer Leontine Calleja was counsel to Mr Gyurov.
Inspectors Fabian Fleri and Lydon Zammit prosecuted.

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