Robbers twice tried and failed to gain access to a Sliema jewellery but were thwarted by tough security glass and alert salesgirls, a court was told.

A description of the attempts and two other crimes including a hold-up were given during the trial of Latvian born Karlis Meirs, 21, who was yesterday convicted of involvement in a theft from Belgravia Auction Gallery, the attempted thefts from Classic Jewellers in Sliema and a hold-up at Nouvelle Idee, all in May 2011.

Witness Perry Thomas Bilsborrow, who in separate proceedings admitted involvement in one of the cases, told the court that he used to live with Albert Tanti in St Vincent Street, Sliema. Tanti  knew the accused Karlis Meirs, having met him at the Detox Centre.

He explained how Meirs had told them how he had broken a window at the auction gallery and although the burglar alarm had gone off he still went in and stole four firearms.

Tanti was supposed to try to find ammunition for the firearms but by the next day, the accused had already managed to sell one of the weapons.

An argument broke out between Tanti and Karlis Meirs, they came to blows and Tanti walked out, taking one of the stolen weapons with him.

The next day Tanti was arrested after the police found him in possession of the weapon.

On May 16, 2011, Bilsborrow said he and Karlis Meirs walked down to Classic Jewellers at the corner of St Vincent Street with the Sliema Strand. He carried the accused on his shoulders while he used wire cutters to cut the cable to the CCTV system.

The accused then tried to smash one of the glass panels on the side of the shop but failed to break it, and they returned to the apartment they used in St Vincent Street, Sliema.

They discussed other ways of getting into the shop and the accused prepared a butterfly knife and another knife, duct tape, gloves and balaclavas, which they carried in a bag.

Early in the morning they walked down to the Sliema Strand and sat down on a bench across the road from the jewellery. The plan was to await the arrival of the salesgirls and get into the shop when they lifted the shutter. Bilsborrow was to close the shutter once more while the accused was to pick up jewellery items. The duct tape was to be used if the salesgirls resisted.

When the salesgirls arrived, they were unable to open the shutter electronically and had to lift it with the help of other people. The accused and Bilsborrow crossed the road and tried to get into the shop but found a glass door locked and they could not open it. The salesgirls refused to comply and the two men then left.

SALESGIRLS BECAME SUSPICIOUS

The salesgirls, who testified later, said that a few days before, two men had entered the shop and tried to sell a ring, but they explained that they did not buy jewellery and only sold it. On the day in question, two of the salesgirls arrived early and had a coffee at a nearby cafeteria while they waited for the salesgirl who had the keys.

While enjoying their coffee they noticed the two men sitting on the bench across the road. They noticed that they were the same men who had tried to sell the ring. They became suspicious of the men because of their behaviour and the fact that they were wearing jackets, gloves and hats, which were inappropriate for the kind of weather on the day.

The salesgirls recounted how the electric shutter could not work - because of a short circuit caused when the power cable to the CCTV was cut.

The girls got into the shop and lowered the shutter again until opening time at 9 a.m. When they raised the shutter again, they saw the two men crossing the road and approaching the shop. They therefore closed the glass door and called the police.

It was while one of the girls was on the phone with the police that the accused Karlis Meiers struggled to open the glass door. He failed and asked the girls to open it for him. They refused and the two men then left.

HOLD-UP

In further evidence Bilsborrow said that when they gave up on the jewellery, the two men walked past Nouvelle Idee and the accused decided to rob it. Bilsborrow decided he did not want to be part of it. He went up the road to the apartment, carrying their bag and was arrested there.

The accused pulled down his balaclava and entered the shop.

Claire Valastro, the employee at Nouvelle Idee said the accused entered the shop and declared 'this is a robbery' and that this was not a joke.

He held a knife to her throat and demanded cash, which she handed over. He asked for jewellery, but she said there wasn't any. He then ordered her to go into the store so he could lock her there, but she refused.

He then asked for tape  to tie her with. She started to resist, she saw people outside the shop and started screaming for help.

The accused then ran out of the shop, removing his hat and the covering over his face.

She did not see his face, but the description matched that given by  the jewellery salesgirls. Meiers was later arrested in the apartment where Bilsborrow was arrested earlier.

The court in its deliberations said the version of events described by Bilsborrow was credible and had been corroborated by other witnesses as well as forensic evidence.

Karlis Meiers was therefore convicted and sentenced to five years imprisonment.