Two Italian teenagers were arrested at Malta International Airport while attempting to leave the country following a drunken vandalising spree in Swieqi.
18-year-old Francesco Paoli and a 17-year-old Italian youth, whose name cannot be published due to his age, appeared in court on Saturday, charged with intentional damage to multiple parked vehicles, public drunkenness, and disturbing the peace.
The minor was additionally charged with failing to report a found object, specifically a stolen helmet, to the police within three days.
The court heard that on 20 August, around 5am, in Triq il-Qugħ, Swieqi, a group of youths were caught on CCTV smashing the side mirrors of several parked cars, including a FIAT and two Mercedes-Benz vehicles. Police received subsequent reports from local residents describing similar damage.
The prosecution explained how the charged minor had stolen a helmet from a nearby parked bike and pulled his shirt over his head to hide his face so that he would be unrecognisable on CCTV cameras.
Officers traced the group to their accommodation, obtained their details, and secured search and arrest warrants. Upon discovering that the suspects were scheduled to fly out that same evening, police intercepted and arrested them at 8:30pm at the airport police station.
During police interrogations, Paoli fully cooperated with investigating inspectors, while the minor exercised his right to remain silent.
In court, both youths registered early guilty pleas, expressed deep remorse, and issued a formal apology to the vehicle owners and the Swieqi community.
Both prosecution and defence agreed that effective imprisonment was unnecessary given their early admissions, full cooperation, and age.
The magistrate presiding over the case found both accused guilty.
The 17-year-old was sentenced to eight months' imprisonment, suspended for two years, while Paoli received a ten-month prison sentence, suspended for two years.
Following the court ruling, both teenagers were immediately handed over to immigration authorities to be processed for deportation back to Italy.
This case was presided over by Magistrate Giannella Camilleri Busuttil