A 16-year-old boy, who in September told a magistrate to send him to jail, was brought to court under arrest yesterday and charged with a number of thefts, while two 17-year-olds were accused of complicity in the thefts.

By court order, the names of all three teenagers cannot be published because they are still minors.

The 16-year-old was charged with stealing various items, worth more than Lm500, from Che Sarà Sarà in Zejtun early on Tuesday morning. He was also charged with stealing a bunch of keys from the Malta Labour Party Club in Zejtun and with breaching an order imposed by the Juvenile Court in July.

The two 17-year-olds were charged with assisting the 16-year-old in the commission of a crime while the 16-year-old and one of the 17-year-olds were also charged with receiving stolen goods.

Magistrate Consuelo Scerri Herrera heard the three teenagers plead not guilty to the charges brought against them. The magistrate also heard the 16-year-old’s

mother testify that her son stayed out late, sometimes till 5am or 6am.

The magistrate told the mother: “I’m a mother like you are. If he breaches any of the conditions that I am going to impose, you must report him immediately or else the police will come and arrest you. It’s your responsibility”. She then turned to the boy and said to him: “You have to be home at 7pm and cannot leave home before 7am, including Christmas Eve and New Year ’s Eve. Or else you have another option: going to prison.”

Magistrate Scerri Herrera granted the teenagers bail against a personal guarantee of Lm500 each and ordered them to stay at home between 7pm and 7am the following morning.