Man Fined MVR 32,400 for Breaking in and Stealing a Phone

The Criminal Court has ordered a man to pay a combined fine of MVR 32,400 following his conviction for trespassing into a residential property in Hulhumalé and stealing a mobile phone.

The state raised two charges against Mohamed Naif, unlawful entry and theft stemming from an incident on 3 March 2024. According to court records, Naif entered the first floor of Hulhumalé Lot No. 10162 at approximately 07:00 and stole a blue Redmi smartphone from the kitchen area.

During court proceedings, Naif entered a guilty plea to both charges. Presiding Judge Ibrahim Zihuny noted that the defendant’s confession established guilt beyond reasonable doubt.

Under sentencing guidelines, both offences carry a baseline penalty of four months and 24 days’ imprisonment, reduced to three months and 18 days due to the admission of guilt. 

However, the court opted to commute the custodial sentences to monetary penalties, citing Naif’s lack of a prior criminal record and the non-violent nature of the offences.

In the judgment, the court observed that imposing non-custodial penalties in minor criminal matters avoids unnecessary administrative and financial burdens on the state prison system while better facilitating rehabilitation outside a custodial setting.

For the charge of unlawful entry, the court handed down a one-month prison sentence, commuted to an MVR 10,800 fine to be settled with the Maldives Inland Revenue Authority (MIRA) within 12 months.

For the theft conviction, the sentence of three months and 18 days’ imprisonment was converted into an MVR 21,600 fine, payable to MIRA within 18 months.