Sticky-fingered tourist gets suspended sentence for stealing iPhone 6

An opportunistic theft of an iPhone has landed a Bulgarian visitor in trouble with the law.

22-year-old Sabka Georgieva was arraigned before magistrate Ian Farrugia this morning, accused of stealing an iPhone from a supermarket in St Julian's on Sunday.

Inspector Nikolai Sant charged the woman with the theft of the iPhone 6, valued at €800, and receiving stolen goods. The prosecution explained that Georgieva had been “noted taking items from a person” in the supermarket from CCTV footage.

She admitted during questioning, he added. She had even handed over €800 to the police, intending to compensate the owner, as she had already sold the phone.

The 22-year-old spoke only to confirm her details during the sitting. Lawyer Chris Chircop entered a plea of guilty on her behalf.

In view of the fact that the woman pleaded guilty at an early stage of proceedings and that the prosecution had said she had repaid the value of the stolen object, the court imposed a one-year prison sentence, suspended for two years.