The teenager pleaded guilty to stealing various items of merchandise from Blye Engineering Ltd in San Gwann worth a total of Lm327. He was also accused of relapsing in view of previous convictions. In his submissions to the court, Mr Tonna said: “This boy is very heavily heroin-dependent. He has been given the opportunity to enroll in a rehab programme, but he is simply not capable of doing it himself.”

He continued: “He needs to be put in prison where he can follow an in-house rehab programme that will help him get over the scourge that is heroin addiction. All he does is steal and buy heroin with the money he has raised.”

Mr Tonna concluded: “I urge the court to accept my request before it is too late and we end up picking this boy off the streets when he is dead as a result of a heroin overdose.”

The court, presided over by magistrate Jacqueline Padovani Grima, said it agreed with the police inspector and jailed the youth for 18 months, with the added condition that he must follow a rehab programme. It also ordered that the youngster spend a few months in Mount Carmel to detoxify his body that is heavily laden with heroin and its by-products. Once this has been done, he will be transferred to a relevant prison wing.

Dr Leslie Cuschieri appeared for the defence.