Prison for serial robber unmasked by ‘Batman’

A deaf man who terrorised a neighbourhood for three weeks last year by carrying out armed robberies in shops has been jailed for four years after a magistrate noted that he faced a maximum of 18 years for the crimes.

The 52-year-old man, who cannot be named by court order, had carried out the robberies wearing a balaclava but was unmasked by a hairdresser whom he had tried to rob.

The hairdresser, Patrizio Parascandalo, 31, was nicknamed Batman by his wife Katia after he jumped to the protection of customers and a 12-year-old boy in his salon from their plastic-gun pointing aggressor.

The man admitted to stealing some €1,300 from two pharmacies, a green grocer, an underwear shop and Mr Parascandalo’s hair salon between December 18, 2010 and January 14, 2011.

He also admitted to holding people against their will and being in possession of the plastic gun during the thefts.

Magistrate Anthony Vella noted that his defence lawyer Danielle Mangion had asked for a suspended jail term on the basis that he had cooperated fully with the police and he had a clean police record.

The prosecution, however, asked for him to be jailed because of the seriousness of the crime.

Magistrate Vella, in calibrating punishment, said the accused had benefitted from a one-third reduction in jail time because of his disability but still stood to gain 18 years in jail as a maximum. He jailed him for four years – the “barest minimum” by law.

Police Inspectors Anthony Portelli and Anthony Cachia prosecuted.