The man behind a series of armed robberies reported in recent weeks was arraigned in court early this afternoon to face multiple charges of aggravated theft.
Smartly dressed in grey suit and tan shoes, Keith Gauci, 41, from Rabat, currently unemployed, stood with head bent as the court took note of the charges lodged against him. The man, who is a relapser, was charged with a series of eight thefts, being in possession of a knife and holding seven victims against their will.
The first armed hold-up took place on February 17 on a bookshop in St Julian's. Other armed robberies took place between February 20 and March 6 at a souvenir shop in St Julian's, a fashion outlet and a pet shop in Gżira, a toy shop in Sliema, and a lotto booth and a children's store in Rabat. The latter was targeted twice in a matter of 11 days.
After hearing the accused plead guilty, the court, presided by magistrate Francesco Depasquale, asked hin whether he was fully aware of the gravity of the charges. "Are you aware of the serious repercussions these charges may bring upon you and upon society as a whole?" the magistrate questioned.
Without wavering or hesitating, the accused politely replied "yes sir".
Questioned by the court, the accused admitted that he had a drug problem which needed to be addressed. In fact, just yesterday he reportedly contacted the Oasi Foundation and fixed a meeting for tomorrow to seek help in battling his addiction.
The court upheld a request made by the defence for a pre-sentencing report to be drawn up so that the court might better understand the personal circumstances of the accused before delivering judgment.
At this stage, no request for bail was made by the defence and the accused was remanded in custody pending the preparation of the report in six weeks' time.
The court also directed the prison authorities to provide all necessary help so that the accused might embark upon the road to recovery during his stay in prison.
Inspectors Robert Vella, Carlos Cordina and James Grech prosecuted.Lawyer Martin Fenech was legal aid.