A man from Somalia has been denied bail after he was charged with stealing an iPhone, a Samsung smartphone, relapsed and breached conditions of a conditional discharge.
Ahmedsharif Issa Haydar, 34, was caught in Floriana after one of the phones on his person had a tracking application switched on, allowing the police to locate its whereabouts.
The accused attempted to broker a deal by intimating that he would plead guilty should he receive a suspended sentence, claiming that he did not steal the mobiles, and had bought them for €50 in Paceville without a charger, and had been on his way to Floriana to sell them.
Prosecuting Inspector Priscilla Caruana Lee argued that the accused had a checkered criminal history including previous charges of theft and attempted rape. He has been jailed in the past. She pointed out that one of the mobiles was worth €600 while the other was very similar.
Mr Haydar pleaded not guilty.
Legal aid George Anton Buttigieg argued that the evidence pointing towards the accused was circumstantial at best, however there was no objection to the fact that he was breaching conditions of discharge while having drinks in Paceville on the evening of Saturday 4 February.
Magistrate Monica Vella presided over the case.