Paceville Thief Receives Vigilante-Style ‘Justice’ On The Streets After Robbing Woman’s Bag
An 18-year old man who allegedly stole a handbag from a woman in Paceville ended up biting off a little more than he could chew after he was chased and beaten up by bystanders who caught him in the act.
Battered and bruised, Sayfedine Bonavia limped into court and was charged with several offences including the aggravated robbery of two mobile phones, each worth around €1,000, which were in the stolen bag.
Bonavia was also charged with resisting arrest, insulting police constables on-site, not wearing a mask, and even for committing a crime whilst having a suspended sentence.
The incident happened at around 1am on 16th January.
Magistrate Yana Micallef Stafrace, among other attendees in the court, was surprised to learn of an additional twist in Bonavia’s story.
It transpired that the alleged thief was witnessed stealing the bag from a foreign couple by a passer-by who took his civic duty – arguably – too far. He physically engaged Bonavia, and was even joined by a throng of youths in doing so.
When caught, it was alleged that Bonavia was beaten and had his hands tied together before being handed over to police.
Despite the court’s decision to detain Bonavia, the Magistrate Yana Micallef Stafrace denounced the violent treatment Bonavia had gone prior to his arrest and insisted that further action will be taken in this regard.
“It is very alarming to me that a person ends up like this. Nobody should end up before me in this state. This must not end here,” she said, calling the case “disturbing”.
What would you do, if you were to witness a theft?