Articles by Julia Dowling

Grocery shop worker jailed six years for molesting 10-year-old girl inside Mosta shop

DISCLAIMER: This article contains graphic details that some readers might find disturbing A 29-year-old man has been sentenced to six years in prison after being found guilty of sexually abusing a 10-year-old girl inside a grocery shop in Mosta where he worked. Mufarrih Shah, from Pakistan, was convicted of performing sexual acts without consent on the child inside a grocery shop in Mosta, after luring her into the store’s back area in July 2023. The girl later told her parents what had happened, prompting them to contact the police. ‘He took advantage of her trust’ Evidence presented in court showed that Shah had taken advantage of the girl’s innocence and trust, touching her inappropriately and exposing himself. CCTV footage and witness statements corroborated key elements of the child’s account. The court remarked that the testimony of the young victim was “consistent, spontaneous and credible”, noting that there was no motive for fabrication. Medical and psychological reports confirmed the trauma suffered by the girl. During proceedings, Shah denied the accusations and claimed that the incident never occurred. The defence argued that there was insufficient proof of intent and questioned the reliability of the girl’s statement. However, the court rejected these arguments, stressing that the child’s testimony was detailed and trustworthy, and that the accused’s behaviour in the moments following the report was “evasive and inconsistent”. Apart from the sexual offences, Shah was also found guilty of breaching immigration and employment regulations, having been working at the grocery store without the necessary permit. He was sentenced to six years’ imprisonment, as the court placed a five-year protection order in favour of the victim. The court also prohibited Shah from working in any setting involving minors upon his release. The court ordered the revocation of his residence permit and his deportation following the completion of his sentence. Magistrate Claire L. Stafrace Zammit delivered the sentence on 13 October 2025. Police Inspectors Kylie Borg and Godwin Scerri prosecuted. A legal aid lawyer appeared for the accused. If you or someone you know needs support, click here to reach out to professional help services available in Malta.

Oct 16, 2025

Technology

Language school worker gets suspended sentence for misappropriating students funds

A 31-year-old man has been handed a two-year prison sentence suspended for four years after admitting to misappropriating over €4,000 from several foreign language students. Columbian national Juan David Diaz Herrera was accused of taking a total of €4,320 from five students who reported that they had lent him money between July and September this year. The students, who attended the same language school where the accused worked, told police that Diaz Herrera had approached them with various excuses and later failed to return the borrowed sums. Inspector James Turner, who led the investigation, said the accused had stopped responding to calls and messages before being reported missing. He was eventually located and arrested on Wednesday after returning to the school to collect his belongings. During questioning, Diaz Herrera answered all police questions except those relating to the missing funds, but later apologised for his actions. Appearing before Magistrate Noel Bartolo, the accused pleaded guilty to misappropriation charges. The court took into account his early admission and cooperation, handing him a two-year jail term suspended for four years and ordering him to reimburse the victims. Inspector Turner prosecuted, while legal aid lawyer Yanika Bugeja appeared for the defence.

Oct 16, 2025

Technology

Teen caught with ecstasy at Paceville club in 2016 avoids jail after rehab

An 18-year-old arrested during an anti-drug sweep at a Paceville bar in 2016 has been placed on a three-year probation order after a court ruled his police statement was inadmissible and cleared him of trafficking, while convicting him of aggravated possession of ecstasy and simple possession of cocaine. A court found an 18-year-old guilty of possessing 26 MDMA pills (20 found in his underwear at the club and six later at home) and 0.12g of cocaine, with the possession aggravated by location because the offence occurred inside a youth-frequented entertainment venue. He was acquitted of trafficking and of possessing the cannabis plant. The court also ordered the confiscation of €275 seized on arrest, the destruction of the drugs and paraphernalia, and payment of €691.69 in expert costs. Agius will be supervised for three years under a probation order. Anti-drug squad officers carrying out inspections at a bar between 1am and 1:30am on 30 October 2016 stopped the accused as he exited a toilet cubicle. A frisk and strip search recovered €275 in cash, 20 blue ecstasy tablets hidden in his underwear and a packet containing white powder later confirmed as cocaine. A subsequent search at his Zejtun residence turned up six more blue tablets in a bedroom drawer. Court-appointed pharmacist Godwin Sammut confirmed the pills contained MDMA, and the powder was cocaine. Central to the outcome was the court’s decision to exclude the accused police statement, given on 30 October 2016 when Maltese law had not yet introduced the right to legal assistance during interrogation (which came into force on 28 November 2016). Citing local constitutional jurisprudence and ECHR principles on the overall fairness of proceedings, the magistrate held that, given the accused young age at the time and the procedural framework then in force, the statement was inadmissible. With the statement out, prosecutors had no direct evidence of dealing: no eyewitnesses to sales, no buyers, and no proof of distribution at the venue. The court therefore acquitted on trafficking. On the remaining counts, the court did not accept the accused’s claim that he had bought an unusually large quantity of pills merely because he “found them cheap” and intended to consume them over the weekend. The quantity, cash on person, concealment in underwear, and nightclub setting led the magistrate to conclude the ecstasy was not for his exclusive use, satisfying aggravated possession. The cocaine quantity supported a separate conviction for simple possession. Earlier in the case, the court referred the accused to the Rehabilitation Board, which later informed the court that Agius had successfully completed rehabilitation. Taking into account his clean criminal record, cooperation, and reform efforts, the court opted for probation for three years rather than imprisonment. The defence was led by lawyers Franco Debono, Marion Camilleri, and Adreana Zammit. Magistrate Caroline Farrugia Frendo presided over the case.

Oct 16, 2025

Technology

Man in possession of 12.5g of cannabis is charged with aggravated possession

A 23-year-old delivery driver from Santa Luċija has been granted bail under strict conditions, after being charged with aggravated possession of cannabis and breaching previous bail terms. Leon Mizzi, from Santa Luċija, pleaded not guilty to the charges of being in possession of cannabis in circumstances indicating it was not for his exclusive use, breaching bail conditions imposed by a decree issued in February 2024, and being a recidivist. The court heard that on 6 October 2025, police officers noticed a vehicle in Paola registered under the name of a person who did not hold a valid driving licence. They decided to stop the car, in which Mizzi was seated in the passenger seat. While speaking to the driver about the licence issue, officers observed that Mizzi appeared “excited and nervous.” On the basis of reasonable suspicion, they searched him and found 12.5g of cannabis on his person and €150 in cash. He was exceeding the legal limit of seven grams. A subsequent search of his residence yielded no further findings of substance. The prosecution explained that investigations are still ongoing and that Mizzi’s mobile phone had been seized for data extraction. Moreover, they objected to bail, citing Mizzi’s unreliability, past breaches of bail, and the fact that he was facing serious offences involving drugs. It also pointed out that the accused had previously been convicted of similar offences. The defence argued that Mizzi had a fixed address, that the amount seized was marginally above the legal threshold, and that cannabis today is different to other substances. They insisted that bail should be the rule, not the exception, remarking that “for a few grams of cannabis, he is not granted bail?” After hearing both sides, the court noted her serious doubts about Mizzi’s reliability, but nonetheless granted him the benefit of the doubt and that he could benefit more from rehabilitation than detention. The court ordered his release on bail under a €1,000 deposit and a €10,000 personal guarantee, requiring him to report to the police station four times a week, observe a nightly curfew and follow a rehabilitation programme under a treatment order, and submit weekly urine samples while under probation supervision. Any breach of these conditions would lead to his immediate re-arrest and the forfeiture of the total €11,000 guarantee. Inspector Chantelle Mifsud, assisted by AG lawyer Godwin Cini, prosecuted, whilst defence lawyers José Herrera, Naomi Spiteri, and Martina Herrera assisted the accused. The case was presided over by Magistrate Monica Vella.

Oct 9, 2025