A drunken German student “mistakenly” walked off with a handbag containing a mobile phone worth €5,000, a court heard yesterday.

Sebastian Muller, 25, was conditionally discharged for two years after he apologised and shook hands with the owner of the handbag, Bulgarian Emiliya Gatt.

The incident took place at Numero Uno night club on Sunday night. Mr Muller, who is staying in St Julian’s, got drunk at the club and at about 10.30pm helped himself to the handbag.

He was tracked down within the club shortly afterwards and arrested.

One of the items in the bag was a Vertu, a very expensive smartphone that offers users a number of exclusive services such as a 24-hour, seven-day-a-week concierge. The magistrate was told the handset costs €5,000.

In court yesterday the Bulgarian woman and her husband accepted Mr Muller’s apology.

However, presiding Magistrate Audrey Demicoli told him that perhaps he should not drink so much in future.