A fruit and vegetable seller who defrauded three people out of €25,000 was jailed for two years suspended for four after he was convicted of fraud.

The 44-year-old man, whose name was banned from publication, was given three years to return the sum he had gained illicitly.

He has since paid back €5,000 of the amount he swindled.

The court heard very little details of the case since the man changed his plea to guilty before his victims could testify. The crime was committed on and before September 2021.

During his arraignment, the man was inclined to register an admission but then had a change of heart after the court, presided over by Magistrate Charmaine Galea, observed that he had been handed a three-year probation order over similar charges in the past.

Upon his admission during the compilation of evidence, Magistrate Joe Mifsud ordered a pre-sentencing report, with a probation officer recommending to the court that the man is given a suspended jail term and ordered to repay his victims.

Handing down his judgment, Mifsud explained how a punishment should serve as an opportunity for a person who was convicted of a crime to learn from his mistakes. In the circumstances, the court believed that he should be given time to reform and bring his life back on the right track.

In considering what punishment should be meted out, Magistrate Mifsud said that if he were to order the restitution of the amount he swindled, this would not be possible if he were to be jailed and the victims would remain without their money.

He, therefore, opted to uphold the recommendation in the pre-sentencing report and hand down a suspended jail term. He also urged the defendant to continue addressing his problems.

Police inspectors Wayne Camilleri and Shaun Pawney prosecuted, while lawyers Franco Debono and Francesca Zarb were defence counsel.