A young man due to walk out of prison in days after serving years behind bars, has faced fresh charges over a string of thefts dating back to 2015.

Mahamadou Fofana, a 24-year old Mali national, had landed a six-year jail term after being found guilty of a number of thefts, also committed five years ago.

He was due to get out of prison on May 9.

But Fofana was escorted back to court on Tuesday after investigators, working on solving a number of thefts dating back to 2015, zeroed in on him as one of the suspects.

The man was escorted to court from the Corradino Correctional Facility and charged with five aggravated thefts committed between December 5 and 21 of that year. Fofana pleaded guilty to all the charges.

In the first case, cash had gone missing from a Swieqi residence. Two days later, two laptops and a mobile phone were stolen from an Msida flat, followed by more electronic equipment and cash from a Gzira home.

An iPhone was then stolen from a B’Kara residence. On the night of December 20, a St Venera resident was robbed of his mobile and tablet.

Prosecuting Inspector Wayne Camilleri said that police had linked Fofana to the crimes following investigations by the Hamrun district officers that were also backed by forensic tests.

The young man used to steal in order to buy food and pay his rent, the Court was told.

Meanwhile, the accused claimed to have put his time behind bars to good use, taking up doll making and striving to turn over a new leaf.

In the light of the man's admission, the Court, presided over by Magistrate Claire Stafrace Zammit, remanded the accused in custody, pending the drawing up of a pre-sentencing report.