Youth in emergency light smashing spree

A man who smashed around 50 emergency lights placed for security purposes while roadworks were being undertaken in Zabbar was conditionally discharged after a magistrate took into account the "act of youthful madness".  The youth, who was 17 at the time, hung out of a car driven by his friend and smashed one emergency light after another. He smashed some 27 along one road and another 19 in a different road and also stole three lights from Paola, Cirkewwa and Fgura. The incidents happened in July and August of 2009. Magistrate Gabriella Vella noted that it was more of "an act of youthful madness" than criminal intent in what he had done. She also took into consideration that the youth had paid for all the damage he had caused and had a clean criminal record.  She conditionally discharged him for two years.  The youth's name is not being published since he was still underage when he committed the crime.