Two young students who racked up over €4,500 in damages at a Ta’ Xbiex apartment block on Sunday evening will have to reimburse that amount before their departure on Friday.

Anna Laguibre, a 24-year-old nurse and her friend Mickael Tarkan Deffrasnes, a 23-year-old estate agent, both from France, caused damage to the landing and elevator of the apartment block.

Prosecuting inspector George Frendo explained that a report was filed at the Sliema police station by the owner of the block who said two people had knocked at her apartment door on Sunday evening while she was out.

Her daughter, who was inside, called her mother to let her know that someone was at the door.

But the woman warned her not to open the door before she herself returned home. 

That was when the two people began to kick up a commotion that was captured on CCTV footage.

Police later inspected that footage showing the two suspects damaging the landing.

They also repeatedly pressed the elevator button and blocked the elevator doors to stop them from closing.

That had resulted in electronic damage to the lift, said lawyer Dean Hili, representing the company tasked as administrator of the block where the incident took place. 

Police soon tracked the two suspects at the English language school where they were enrolled as students. 

Assisted by a French-speaking interpreter, the pair admitted to the solitary charge of wilful damage to third-party property and confirmed their admission after consulting their legal aid lawyer, Daniel Attard.

The court, presided over by magistrate Natasha Galea Sciberras, warned them that the offence carried a possible jail term that varied between 18 months and four years.

After hearing that the prosecution was not insisting on an effective jail term but rather on reimbursement of the damages and after their lawyer said that he had explained the implications at length, the court proceeded to judgment. 

The youths were given an 18-month jail term suspended for four years and ordered to each reimburse half of the total sum of €4,559 within two days of their departure, warning them of the consequences if they were to default.