A 17-year-old girl from Birkirkara was placed under probation for three years after pleading guilty to defrauding a woman out less than €2,329.37.

Before Magistrate Lawrence Quintano, the girl pleaded guilty also to stealing from a car parked in Floriana on 15 July at 2pm, forging the owner’s signature in order to buy goods in Valletta and St Julian’s handling stolen goods and associating herself with another person to commit a crime.

Magistrate Quintano abstained from passing judgment over the charge of handling stolen goods and placed the girl under probation for three years.

Police Inspector James Grech prosecuted while Dr Mark Busuttil was defence counsel.