French students plead guilty to theft of clothes

Two French girls were conditionally discharged after pleading guilty to stealing clothes from three shops in Valletta.

Sitting in the dock, with the father of one of them standing behind them the accused listened to prosecuting inspector Godwin Scerri explaining how the two students, both aged 16, were yesterday caught red-handed by a shop owner. The accused took a number of clothes from the shop's shelf, and while in the changing room, they cut off the alarm code.

The girls also had two more bags containing clothes stolen from two other shops. The stolen items amount to just under €300, and the clothes were stolen from Mango, Miss Selfridge and Jennyfer.

The prosecution informed the court that all the stolen items were returned and the accused had admitted to the thefts with the police. The two students are expected to return to France tomorrow.

Magistrate Natasha Sciberras had words of warning for the accused reiterating they should not take the case lightly as it carried an effective jail term of three years. However considering their guilty plea, clean conduct and the fact that all stolen items had been returned, the court handed the two minors a three-year conditional discharge.

Inspector Godwin Scerri prosecuted and lawyer Martin Fenech appeared for the accused.