Man guilty of robbing elderly couple in Zabbar has punishment slashed by more than five years

A man had his prison-term reduced significantly from seven years to 18 months after being found guilty of burglarising the home of an elderly couple in Zabbar in 2009.

Christopher Scerri, a 46-year-old man from Qormi who has had various brushes with the law so much so that he was released on bail in connection with a murder case, was initially handed a seven-year prison-term.

He was handed two years for his involvement in the burglary in which around €11,000 in cash and €4,000 worth of jewellery were stolen from the home of an elderly couple who were robbed while attending mass. Another two years were imposed for a previous suspended sentence, one year for another suspended sentence and two years for breaching the terms of a conditional discharge.

Yet, for a second time, Scerri had his sentence annulled, as an Appeals Court declared that the case was to be reheard before a Magistrates’ Court.

In its deliberations on the adequate punishment to be meted out, the Court presided over by Magistrate Ann Marie Thake held that it ‘could not ignore the fact that this case has been pending for almost fifteen years and concerns an offence committed in 2009’.

Reference was also made to the progress made by Scerri in his drug rehabilitation programme, with the Court holding that it would be unjust to inflict a punishment ignoring the fact that Scerri has used the past years to try and better his life.

Simultaneously, the gravity of the crime and its serious repercussions had to be considered.

Scerri was sentenced to an effective prison-term of one year and a half.

The prosecution was led by Assistant Commissioner Keith Arnaud and Inspector Fabian Fleri.

Lawyers Franco Debono and Marion Camilleri appeared for Scerri.