A 16-year-old boy was jailed for six months today after being convicted of illegal possession of two shotguns and driving without a licence last year, when he was 15.

A previous suspended jail term of 18 months was extended.

The boy was arrested in October at the Marsascala bypass when he was spotted driving while using a mobile phone.

The shotguns were on the back seat of the car. 

He was accompanied by his 18-year-old friend.

The two were  charged with handling stolen property while the boy alone also being accused of stealing one of the guns from a field in Marsaxlokk, damaging property, illegally possessing the guns, driving without a licence or insurance, driving without a seatbelt and while using a mobile phone and breaching the conditions of a previous release.

The boy admitted to all charges except handling stolen property while his friend admitted to every charge.

Defence lawyer Joseph Giglio had said when the arraignment was made that this was a case of being naughty, rather than delinquency and in light of his somewhat troubled background a pre-sentencing report needed to be drawn up.

The lawyer said the boy wanted to use the guns for hunting rather than to commit other  crime. He took his mother’s car while she was in Gozo.

After today's court sentence, Dr Giglio said he hoped that the prison authorities would be mindful that the boy is only 16 years old and the prisons would truly be a correctional facility.