Teenager stopped in citizen's arrest admits to pickpocketing

A Bulgarian pickpocket discovered that she had chosen the wrong day to steal other people's belongings when she tried to escape citizen’s arrest, only to run into police officers gathered for yesterday's Police Day parade.

Inspector Priscilla Caruana Lee presented Todorka Borisova, who turns 18 this month, under arrest before magistrate Audrey Demicoli this morning, charging her with simple theft of a wallet containing €175 and attempting another theft.

The prosecution explained that sales staff at a Valletta clothing outlet had spotted the accused on CCTV putting her hand in a woman's handbag and taking it out again, however without stealing anything.

As the staff were discussing what to do, one salesgirl saw the accused putting her hand in an elderly woman's handbag and sprinting off. When staff then challenged the teenager, she had tried to run away from them, throwing the wallet away in the process. A citizen's arrest was performed as she ran down Republic Street, moments before police officers nearby moved in and detained her.

The accused “did not cooperate at all,” said the Inspector, adding that the story she had given police was “one big lie.”

She had claimed to have come to Malta to meet a person whom she had only met on Skype. However the girl had no details about this person, name or address. She had also told police that she was due to be leaving Malta today but had no ticket.

The young accused, who was assisted by a translator, at first appeared to be very fearful during the sitting, later oscillating between being wild with grief and completely composed.The sitting was interrupted several times by the woman's pleas to be allowed to leave the islands.

The girl pleaded guilty to the charges.

Caruana Lee asked the court to impose a prison sentence. Lawyer Simon Micallef Stafrace, appearing as legal aid to the accused, pointed out that despite her lack of initial cooperation, the woman had now admitted.

He asked what message a custodial sentence would give, when suspended sentences were routinely handed out for much more serious crimes.

“When one considers the admission, the age and the charge of simple theft...she is here, she admitted, she is a minor, Why not? There is no reason not to give her a suspended sentence.”

The court handed the girl a six-month sentence, suspended for two years.

“I go [to] Bulgaria today,” she could be heard telling her lawyer as he explained the implications.