Armed robber gets six years in prison for string of hold-ups

A man from Rabat has been jailed for six years for carrying out eight armed robberies earlier this year.

In early March, Keith Gauci, 41, from Rabat, unemployed, had admitted to charges of having on eight separate occasions, between February 17 and March 6 committed armed robbery from various outlets in Rabat, St Julian's and Gzira. A lotto booth in Rabat was also robbed by the accused.

Gauci had pleaded guilty to 11 charges in all: seven counts of theft aggravated by violence, one of attempted aggravated theft, together with charges of holding persons against their will, possession of a knife during the commission of a crime, carrying a knife in public without the necessary licence and causing a number of people to fear that violence would be used against them.

In a sentence handed down this morning, magistrate Francesco Depasquale highlighted Gauci's actions, besides constituting serious offences, had "created a sense of fear and a general lack of security in society as a whole."

In its considerations on punishment, the court noted that the man had expressed remorse for his crimes, apologised the victims and was willing to face the persons he robbed as part of Mediation Committee, set up with the aim of creating a platform for offenders and their victims to meet.

After taking into consideration the conclusions of a pre-sentencing report compiled by the probation officer, the court handed the accused an effective jail term of six years. Gauci was also ordered to pay a fine of €698.82 and cover expenses relating to the appointment of court experts.

Magistrate Depasquale invited the Offender Assessment Board to refer the case for mediation. The court also recommended the Director of Prisons to provide all necessary assistance to tackle Gauci's drug problem as well as his anger issues.

Inspectors Carlos Cordina, Robert Vella and James Grech prosecuted.