A man has been given an 18-month prison sentence suspended for two years after pleading guilty to sexually assaulting a woman walking her dog in Swatar. 

21-year-old Abdallah Illewe from Syria, admitted to harassing the woman, grabbing her by the neck. 

Magistrate Claire Stafrace Zammit heard police inspector Christabelle Chetcuti explain how the incident on May 14, took place while the woman was walking her dog in the evening. The man is understood to have walked up to the woman and grabbed her by the neck. 

The court heard how the victim resisted her aggressor and ran away. She was slightly injured during the ordeal.

Illewi, who is unemployed, pleaded guilty to the charges upon his arraignment. He told the police that he got angry with the woman because she allowed her dog to urinate in front of the block where he lives. She pushed him and called him names.  
In view of his early admission and his cooperation with the police, magistrate Stafrace Zammit gave him a suspended prison sentence and issued a protection order in favour of the woman. 

Lawyer Jason Grima was defence counsel.