Three youths were spared jail after they admitted to holding up two women against their will, slightly injuring one of them with a knife and stealing her car and other objects, in a case which had taken place last month.

The incident took place in Triq il-Ġnien, Gżira, in the small hours of 21 May.

The car’s owner, a 41-year-old prostitute, was sitting on the doorstep of her home waiting for clients when the three – a 15-year-old Maltese boy and two Libyan youths aged 19 and 22 – turned up, pushed her inside and threatened her and another woman, a 68-year-old, using knives.

The three ended up stealing a wallet containing a small amount of cash and a mobile phone, but also ended up driving off in her car, a Peugeot 306.

Police on patrol spotted the car in Sliema, and followed it to St Julians, where the three stopped the car and fled on foot.

The 15-year-old was arrested first, but the other two were arrested at a later stage.

The three were each charged with aggravated theft, holding the two women against their will, slightly injuring the 41-year-old woman, the unlawful possession of a knife and committing these crimes during the operative term of conditional discharges each had received separately.

One of the Libyan men was also separately charged with driving a car without being covered by a licence or insurance, carrying out crimes during the operative term of a suspended sentence and relapsing.

Magistrate Antonio Micallef Trigona ultimately decided to extend the operative period of his suspended sentence by four years, and fined him a total of €2,452.

The other two were each placed under probation for three years and fined €116.

Inspectors Joseph Mercieca and Jonathan Ransley prosecuted. Lawyer David Gatt appeared for the 15-year-old, whilst lawyer Noel Bianco represented the two Libyans.