A Chilean student who smashed a rental car’s windows to sleep inside it after a night of drinking has received a rude awakening this afternoon, after he was ordered to pay nearly €4,400 in damages, and handed a suspended sentence.

Inspector Matthew Spagnol arraigned the 25-year-old before magistrate Charmaine Galea today, accusing him of committing voluntary damage to property, trespassing and being drunk and incapable of taking care of himself in a public area.

The man had been somewhat the worse for wear when he decided it would be a good idea to smash the front and rear windscreen of a Nissan belonging to Meli Car Rentals, in order to crawl inside and fall asleep, during the night of 24 September in St Julian’s.

In court this afternoon, a rather sheepish-looking Chilean pleaded guilty to the charges, after the court warned him that he faced a maximum of 4 years in prison for the offence.

He was eventually sentenced to 2 years in prison, suspended for 4 years and condemned to pay €4,397 to Meli Car Rentals Ltd before leaving Malta. H pledged to pay the full amount before his scheduled return flight on November 5.

Lawyer Josette Sultana was legal aid.