A young man from Rabat and his teenage accomplice were both jailed for two years yesterday after admitting in court the theft of three cars and eight bags two years ago.

Melvin Mifsud, 20, and a 16-year-old who cannot be named as he is a minor, also admitted trying to steal another two cars and two bags and slightly injuring two women, the owners of the bags, as they tried to use the snatch and grab tactic between 3 August and 18 September 2004.

Magistrate Jacqueline Padovani gave them time to reconsider their guilty plea, but when they stuck to it, she decided that a jail term was appropriate in the circumstances.

“Although they ‘seem’ to be ‘first time offenders’ they admitted to 17 counts of theft over two months. Despite their age, the accused need to learn (even the hard way) that there is a consequence to each and every action,” said magistrate Padovani in her judgment.

Both accused were therefore sentenced to two years in prison.