Man jailed for handling stolen goods

Mustafa Mohamud Mohamed, a Somali who resides in a tent village in Hal Far, has been jailed for six months after he pleaded guilty to handling a stolen mobile phone and to recidivism.

Police Inspector Matthew Spagnol told a court presided by magistrate Francesco Depasquale that Mohamed had been arrested at 1:00am in Paceville on 18 March and found to be in possession of a Samsung mobile phone that had just been stolen from a young woman in Malta's nightlife district. The phone was returned to its lawful owner, the inspector said.

Mohamed, who has numerous previous convictions, had originally also been charged with stealing the device, but this charge was withdrawn during the sitting.

The inspector said it was a repeat crime for the accused, who had already been accused of theft and convicted in the past. “This time he was found in possession of a stolen phone. This shows repeated behaviour on the part of the accused and we are insisting on a prison sentence.”

Lawyer Josette Sultana, defending the accused, told the court that she disagreed with the prosecution's insistence on a prison sentence, pointing out that the device had been returned to the owner and implying that no actual harm had been caused.

The court, having heard the accused's admission and noting that the theft charge had been withdrawn by the prosecution, found the man guilty and condemned him to six months' imprisonment.