37 months jail for man found guilty of committing hold-up on nail technician

Amadeo Grima, 32 of Kalkara admitted before Magistrate Tonio Micallef Trigona stealing €900 from Ritienne Briguglio, a nail technician.

Grima had followed Briguglio after closing her shop in Cospicua, and blocked her way when she got to Mannarino Road in Birkirkara.

He was also found guilty of relapsing and breaching bail conditions.

Besides jailing Grima for 13 months for the hold-up, Magistrate Micallef Trigona ordered that the accused be immediately remanded and start serving time in jail for an additional two years, which were previously imposed as a suspended sentence.

Grima was also charged in 2011 for committing another hold-up together with his 23 year-old wife Helen Grima in Fgura.

The married couple were charged with carrying out a hold-up on Soshique Beauty Clinic, in Fgura, where they allegedly tied the hands and legs of the owner and threatened to kill her with a knife.

The two pleaded not guilty of stealing €300 and a laptop from the salon, and threatening to kill 32-year-old Analise Trapani.

Amedeo and Helen Grima allegedly tied Analise Trapani with a rope and took it in turns to threaten her, with a knife to her throat, that they would kill her unless she gave them the money. The ordeal lasted for about 10 minutes.