Two men had their suspended jail terms converted to effective imprisonment after a Court of Criminal Appeal upheld the Attorney General’s theory that the first court could not have imposed a suspended jail term.

Costantino Felice and an underage boy, who had not yet turned 18 when the crime was committed, were found guilty of attempting to burgle a house in Rabat, seriously injuring an elderly woman who lives in the house, holding her against her will and possession of a firearm, among other charges.

The magistrates’ court jailed Felice for 22 months suspended for four years while the other accused was jailed for two years suspended for four years. The first court also issued a supervision order against them.

The Attorney General appealed the judgement claiming that the first court should have imposed an effective jail term in view of the seriousness of the case in question.

Mr Justice Joseph Galea Debono, presiding over the Court of Criminal Appeal, converted Felice’s suspended jail term to five years in jail while the other accused had his suspended jail term converted to a three-year jail term and a Lm1,050 fine.