A man was yesterday given a one-year suspended jail term and was fined e2,450 after pleading guilty to taking part in the mugging of an elderly woman.

Kevin Bugeja, 32, pleaded guilty to stealing cash and valuables from an elderly woman in Rabat on 3 January.

He also pleaded guilty to being an accomplice in a crime that left the woman seriously injured. Bugeja also admitted to speeding, dangerous driving, driving without a licence and an insurance cover.

The court noted the prosecution’s submissions, saying that the accused had co-operated and assisted in a wider ranging police investigation. The prosecution also requested that the accused be banned from driving for one year and that the car used in the crime to be impounded by the police.

The court, presided over by magistrate Giovanni Grixti, weighed up all submissions and gave the accused a one-year jail term suspended for two years. He also banned him from driving for one year, and ordered for his car to be impounded. The court also imposed a e2,450 fine.

Police inspector Mario Tonna prosecuted while Dr Marion Camilleri appeared for the accused.