A man was sentenced to nine years’ imprisonment yesterday for armed robbery, after he pleaded guilty to the charges against him before the trial went to jury.

Mario Buhagiar, 38, of Valletta, was due to face a trial by a jury yesterday morning, but opted to plead guilty to the four counts against him.

He pleaded guilty to the armed robbery of Classic Jewellers on 11 November 2000, to the theft of a Ford Anglia, to driving without a licence and insurance cover and to being in possession of a firearm without the necessary licence.

The bill of indictment stated that on 11 November 2000, Buhagiar stole a Ford Anglia from outside St Luke’s Hospital while its owner was visiting a friend. He then headed off to Valletta and pulled up outside the shop. The bill stated that Buhagiar was seen by passers-by who said that he had a scruffy beard and was wearing a baseball cap. He was also described as looking nervous. He then went into the shop and pointed the weapon he was carrying at the two shop attendants, Alan Bajada and Claudia Borg.

The bill said that he threatened to kill them if they did not cooperate and that he demanded they fill his pockets with jewellery. In fact, he made off with 40 solid gold necklaces and a single gold bracelet to the detriment of the shop owner, Paul Fenech. The bill said that the bracelet alone was worth Lm278 while the necklaces were collectively worth well over Lm1,000.

The two witnesses in the shop and another person, Paul Camilleri, who was outside the shop at the time, were asked to identify the accused, who had by that time shaved off his beard. However, they still returned a positive identification of the accused. In addition, CCTV recorded the whole incident as it unfolded.

The bill of indictment also stated that a holster was found in the front seat of Camilleri’s Fiat Punto and that on 12 November 2000, the police also tracked down some of the stolen items. The weapon, however, was never found.

After the guilty plea was entered, defence lawyer Martin Fenech said that his client should benefit from a reduced sentence due to his early plea. He also pointed out that while the accused used to have a serious drug problem, since then he had had two children and had calmed down. He said that from 2000 onwards, his client had only racked up two simple contraventions.

However, the prosecution, led by senior counsel to the Republic Mark Said, pointed out that the accused had had the chance to file an early plea in 2004, but the case had been adjourned. He also said that the accused had a lengthy criminal record and that there were many hold-ups taking place in Malta. The court, he said, should send a message to society by handing down a jail term ranging between eight to 10 years.

Mr Justice Joe Galea Debono retired to his chambers to consider punishment and emerged at midday. The judge pointed out that the accused had 16 convictions to his name and that he had threatened people at gunpoint. He sentenced the accused to nine years’ imprisonment, from which time spent in custody related to the case is to be deducted.