Two Italian teenagers have been convicted over the vandalism of parked cars in Swieqi and handed over to immigration authorities for deportation proceedings.The two, 18-year-old Francesco Paoli and a 17-year-old whose name cannot be published due to his age, were arrested at Malta International Airport while attempting to leave Malta following the incident.The court heard that at around 5am on 20th August, a group of youths was caught on CCTV damaging the side mirrors of several parked vehicles in Triq il-Qugħ, Swieqi. The 17-year-old was also accused of taking a helmet from a parked bike and pulling his shirt over his head in an attempt to conceal his identity from CCTV cameras.Police traced the group to their accommodation and later discovered that the suspects were due to leave Malta that evening. The two were subsequently arrested at the airport. Both teenagers pleaded guilty, expressed remorse and formally apologised to the vehicle owners and the Swieqi community.Paoli was handed a 10-month prison sentence suspended for two years, while the 17-year-old received an eight-month sentence suspended for two years. Following the ruling, both were handed over to immigration authorities for deportation proceedings.Swieqi Deputy Mayor Jordan Galea Pace welcomed the outcome, while calling for further consequences such as community service to be considered in similar cases.“If you damage a community, why not give something back to it?” he said, suggesting offenders could help clean local parks and streets.“Respect Malta, respect our communities, or goodbye.”The case was presided over by Magistrate Giannella Camilleri Busuttil•