Two years jail for hold-up on elderly grocery owner

A drug addict who held up an elderly shop owner with a lighter making her believe it was a knife and demanded €20 was jailed for two years.

The 23-year-old, Eman Ebejer, walked into the grocery shop in Archbishop Street, Valletta on Thursday morning, pressed the lighter against 71-year-old Raffaela Scerri's stomach and demanded €20.

As he struggled to restrain her, he pushed the shop's door closed and in the process broke a glass pane in the frame, causing her to scream in panic. Passers-by heard the shriek and alerted the police, who arrived within minutes and arrested him.

After Mr Ebejer pleaded guilty to holding Mrs Scerri against her will, threatening her with the lighter and relapsing, Police Inspector James Grech and lawyer Anthony Cutajar approached the bench to discuss punishment.

After Dr Cutajar returned from the bench, he sat in the dock and discussed the consequences with his client, who looked the worse for wear.

Mr Falzon decided to stick to his guilty plea and Dr Cutajar asked the court to take into consideration the fact that his client had only three minor offences on his criminal record. The accused had a drug addiction and, furthermore, when he committed the crime "he did not carry out an indiscriminate theft but asked the victim for €20 and this to pay a debt".

The court jailed him for two years and ordered him to attend a drug rehabilitation programme while in prison.