A fifth Romanian has been jailed and banned from the island for begging in the street in Douglas.

Dumitru Mereuta appeared in court on Thursday (July 27), with assistance from an interpreter, and pleaded guilty to vagrancy.

Magistrates sentenced him to 21 days in prison.

We previously reported that four Romanians were jailed on Tuesday (July 25) for begging.

Loredana Mihaela Baico, Mihai Stoica, Sebastian Enache, and Viorca Vasiliu all pleaded guilty to vagrancy and were sentenced to 21 days in prison.

Vasiliu was sentenced to an additional seven days for stealing a skirt from Marks and Spencer.

On Thursday, prosecuting advocate Rebecca Cubbon told the court that police were called by a woman on July 22, who reported Mereuta sitting on the pavement outside a shop in Duke Street with a blanket over his legs.

He had put his hat on the ground and had a sign saying: ‘I am at your mercy. Please help me. I am paying the rent and may God help you.’

The woman said that she saw two women and a man giving him money.

Officers arrived and Mereuta was initially taken to the hospital because of medical issues.

CCTV footage from the street in Douglas showed him meeting with the other four Romanians earlier in the day.

He was subsequently released from hospital and charged under the 1896 Vagrancy Act, with wandering abroad without having any visible means of subsistence and not giving a good account of himself.

Mereuta told police: ‘I was unaware of that law. If I was, I would not have come here.’

Similarly to three of the defendants from Tuesday, the court heard that Mereuta had previously been warned by police for vagrancy on July 5 and taken to the Sea Terminal, where he had departed.

The court heard that he has no previous convictions.

Defence advocate James Peterson said that the case was identical to the other four Romanians, in that Mereuta had come here believing he had work.

‘Unfortunately when he arrived the work was not there and he had nowhere to go,’ said the advocate.

‘He didn’t realise what he was doing was illegal. His English is quite poor.’

Mr Peterson said that his client had been in custody since July 22.

Magistrates made a five-year exclusion order, which will come into force 28 days after it is issued, as this is the time period allowed for any appeal.

The defendant can be given financial assistance to leave the island by the police, if he leaves voluntarily upon his release from prison.