Six years jail for robberies

A man who threatened a pharmacist with a screwdriver in Floriana yesterday week and admitted to carrying out another two hold-ups in the following days was yesterday jailed for six years.

Allan Grima, 27, from Valletta received a four-year jail term for the robberies but this was extended to six years after Magistrate Edwina Grima brought into force a suspended jail term he got a few months ago for theft.

During his arraignment yesterday, Mr Grima pleaded guilty to robbing the pharmacist and two women, a Maltese last Saturday and a Belgian tourist on Tuesday. The Belgian told the magistrate she was now afraid to walk in the street given that the incident happened at midday and not midnight.

Police inspectors Keith Arnaud and James Grech prosecuted.

Lawyer Patrick Valentino appeared for Mr Grima.