A magistrates’ court yesterday jailed a man for six months after he committed various crimes during the operative term of a suspended sentence.

The man, a 20-year-old from Mosta, pleaded guilty to theft, before magistrate Consuelo Scerri Herrera.

The youth, whose name cannot be published because he was still a minor when he committed the crimes, pleaded guilty to stealing a car and driving it without a licence and insurance in February 2004.

He also pleaded guilty to reckless and dangerous driving and causing up to e233/Lm100 of damage to the car.

The youth was found guilty of breaching a probation order from a previous judgment after he was found guilty of fraud.

The court heard how a probation officer was appointed in February 2004 to prepare a pre-sentencing inquiry report. The report recommended that the youth be given supervised community work, to give him a chance to find the right path.

Following the report, the court took into consideration the following factors: the accused’s young age, his early guilty plea, that he cooperated with the police early in the proceedings and that he returned the stolen goods.

However, the court also noted that, even though the youth was only 16 years old, he had already breached a probation order given in June 2003.

In December 2006, magistrate Scerri Herrera heard the testimony of the probation officer who said that, at first, the youth was doing well but in 2006 began to go off track.

She went on to say that, in January 2007 he started a residential programme but left soon after.

In handing down her judgment, magistrate Scerri Herrera noted that in May 2004, the magistrates’ court had jailed the youth for six months suspended for four years.

As a result, the court ordered that the period of the suspended sentence become operative and jailed him for six months.

Police inspector Mario Tonna prosecuted.