Man admits to violent grocery store robbery

A man has been jailed and sent to rehab after he admitted to carrying out a violent robbery at a Gzira grocery store on Saturday, allegedly to finance his €7,000 monthly cocaine habit.

Police inspector Darryl Farr, assisted by prosecutor Clive Aquilina arraigned Wyatt Zammit before magistrate Yana Micallef Stafrace on Monday.

Zammit, 37, from Santa Lucija was charged with theft aggravated by violence, value and time, Zammit was also accused of illegally detaining the shop’s female cashier and causing her to fear that she would be subjected to violence. 

He was further accused of breaching bail conditions that were imposed in July this year when he had been arraigned on unrelated charges.

It is understood that the police had received a phone call from the shop in Gzira at around 9pm on 17 August, reporting that a hold-up had just taken place at the shop in question.

The police, together with inspector Farr had gone to the scene and collected CCTV footage, from which it emerged that the suspect, who did not attempt to conceal his identity, might be Zammit. He was then arrested on Sunday.

Sources said that after allowing a previous shopper to leave, Zammit had walked around the counter and pushed the cashier against a wall, before proceeding to help himself to the contents of the till. No weapons are believed to have been used during the robbery. Zammit was arrested on Sunday and, during a search carried out at his girlfriend’s house, the police found the clothes similar to those worn by the suspect during the robbery.

The motive behind the robbery is believed to be the financing of Zammit’s consumption of cocaine, on which the MaltaToday is told, but is not in a position to confirm, he is spending around €7,000 every month.

Before the sitting began, the parties were allowed to approach the bench, where they discussed the case with the magistrate for several minutes.

After the representatives of the parties returned to their places in the courtroom, Zammit, who told the court that he was unemployed, pleaded guilty to the charges.

In view of his admission of guilt, the court proceeded to impose a sentence of imprisonment for two years, and ordered to pay a €500 fine. The court confiscated €2,500 that he had provided as bail security in addition to the fine. Zammit was placed under a three-year treatment order and ordered to return the €436 he had stolen within six months. A three-year protection order was issued in favour of the cashier or her boss.

“You cannot approach or talk to these people,” warned the court. “If you need to do so, speak to your lawyer or to the police inspector.”

Prosecutor Clive Aquilina prosecuted together with police inspector Darryl Farr, while lawyer Ilona Schembri assisted Zammit as legal aid counsel.