An appeals court judge said today that the courts had to rigorously apply the punishments contemplated by law to counter an increasing number of hold-ups committed mostly by drug-addicts who needed to finance their habit.

Mr Justice Joseph Galea Debono made the statement when he confirmed jail terms for Steve Spiteri and Clayton Cremona, who had been convicted of having committed a hold-up at APG Discount Store in San Gwann in 2006. They were jailed for four-and-a-half years and three years and nine months respectively.

In confirming the judgment, Mr Justice Galea Debono said that the crimes which the accused had been convicted of stemmed from hold-ups. Such crimes, which were assuming an alarming frequency, were often the result of craving for money by drug addicts.

Such crimes, apart from the actual value of the stolen items, also created a real and present danger for the victims and innocent bystanders, such as shoppers. A situation where armed thieves turned up could quickly escalate into the injury or killing of people at their place of work or innocent bystandarers and this activity therefore had to be repressed with tough sentencing which transmitted a clear message to society and these criminals, Mr Justice Galea Debono said.