A man who two years ago escaped unscathed in a bomb attack at an Armier boathouse was jailed for seven and a half years and fined €20,000 by a court after being convicted of drug trafficking.

The defendant, 42, year-old Pierre Cremona from Balzan, was due to stand a trial by jury but filed an admission following plea bargaining between the defence and the prosecution.

In July 2009 Mr Cremona had agreed to buy a shipment of heroin at €8,000 with the intention of selling it at a profit of €3,000. However, the defendant was arrested immediately after the purchase during an undercover operation, in which the police discovered the drug in his car.

In total the police had found 56 capsules which contained a total of 522 grams of heroin which was 28 per cent pure. Its estimated value on the market was between €15,000 and €65,000. For this charged alone the prosecution had requested a life sentence.

Furthermore he was also accused of selling 10 grams of heroin each week at €580, for the duration of a year between August 2000 and 2001.

However, the defendant opted to file an admission, following plea bargaining between defence lawyers Franco Debono, Marion Camilleri and Amadeus Cachia on one side and the Attorney General on behalf of the prosecution.

The court presided by Mr Justice Antonio Mizzi accepted this agreement, and consequently Mr Cremona was found guilty but benefitted from a reduced sentence.