Yonathan Esseyas Afewerki, a 36-year-old Eritrean national, has been sentenced to three-and-a-half years in prison after admitting to robbing three different individuals over the course of a single day.

In one incident, he stole an iPhone 12 Pro Max, cash, a German identity card, sunglasses, a wallet and two bank cards.

In a separate case, he was found guilty of stealing a bag belonging to another victim. He also stole cash from at a National Lotteries outlet in Ħamrun and made fraudulent use of bank cards that had been stolen or otherwise unlawfully obtained.

During proceedings, the accused entered an early and unequivocal guilty plea. The court confirmed that this admission was made voluntarily and after he was fully informed of its legal consequences.

The court also addressed discrepancies in the timing of the offences as indicated in the charges and the evidence presented. However, it ruled that these inconsistencies did not invalidate the proceedings, noting established Maltese jurisprudence that such details do not render a charge null as long as the accused is sufficiently aware of the accusations against him.

In considering punishment, the court noted that Afewerki had prior convictions for theft and was therefore to be treated as a recidivist under Maltese law.

In 2022, Afewerki was caught shoplifting from St Julians. He was jailed three months.

In October 2025, he was also sent to prison for two months after he was found guilty of living a life of vagrancy.

Given these circumstances, and following agreement between the prosecution and defence, the court concluded that an effective prison sentence was appropriate and proportionate.

Afewerki was sentenced to 42 months' imprisonment.

The case was presided over by Magistrate Ann Marie Thake.