Jeweller recalls living in fear after extortion attempts

A jeweller has told a court how he felt compelled to hand over a gold chain and faced repeated threats from two men who accused him of handling stolen jewellery.

The jeweller was testifying in criminal proceedings against 45-year-old Keith Pace and his son, Carlos, 23.

Both were granted bail.

Carlos Pace is also one of the men accused of involvement in the drug heist from the AFM's Safi barracks in February. His father Keith was later accused of insulting and threatening journalists while they were reporting that arraignment.

The two men now stand accused of extorting a jeweller, using violence to coerce the alleged victim, harassing him, and improper use of electronic equipment. Keith Pace is also accused of threatening police inspector John Sammut, committing a crime during the operative period of a suspended sentence and breaching a supervision order. He is further charged with breaching a set of bail conditions handed down in 2019.

The jeweller, who was cautioned before testifying, recalled that when Keith and Carlos Pace turned up at his shop in Qormi he was on the phone. 

"As soon as I hung up this man (Keith) started shouting: ‘I am Carlos’ father. I have evidence that gold items stolen from my son were bought by you’,” the witness recalled Keith Pace as saying. “Give us the gold back and we do not involve the police.” 

Carlos Pace, was a client of his, the witness said. But he never had a problem with him. 

“This time round, they wanted the gold from me. I never bought stolen gold. He showed me photos on his phone of two rings, a chain, and a bracelet among others,” the witness said, adding that he did not ask Pace how they concluded he had the stolen gold. 

“Recently they were on TV [with reference to the cannabis resin heist]. I was really afraid. Keith was arrogant but Carlos was moderate,” the witness recalled.

He said that Keith Pace wanted him to “admit” to having the stolen gold, but he denied handling stolen items.

He weighed and handed Keith Pace a gold chain. Keith showed it to Carlos and they then chose a second chain which was heavier than the first.

The witness recalled Keith Pace telling him: ‘I’ll come once a month for something’. He also threatened him that he would make his life a living hell.

The next day the witness filed a police report after he spoke to a family friend. Before going to the police station, he texted Carlos Pace informing him that he would do so. Carlos Pace returned the call and his father told him: “I’ll make you pay back for this. I will send two junkies to your shop and say that you’re handling stolen gold.”

The witness said that after he filed the report, there was another time when Keith and Carlos Pace spent 45 minutes outside the shop.

His wife locked themselves in, also leaving clients outside.

The jeweller said that on another day, Keith Pace called him through a withheld number saying “We’re coming for the gold”. The couple called the police and officers from the Rapid Intervention Unit escorted him (the witness) to the police station. An inspector stayed behind at the shop with the witness’s wife. Pace called the witness while he was at the police station, and police inspector John Sammut told him to stop harassing him.

Two days later, a man went to the shop and asked for a Rolex bracelet. The witness was about to show him the bracelet when the man told him “I came for Carlos’s bracelet”.

The witness asked him to leave and called the police. He then followed the man out of the shop, and saw Keith and Carlos Pace waiting outside.

”Under cross-examination, the witness denied suggestions that he ever confessed to having handled stolen gold.

Confirming that he was shown photos of Carlos Pace wearing the gold chain that was allegedly stolen, he insisted that it was similar but he could not say it was the same as the one in his shop. He recognised rings he had made for Carlos Pace, but the chain could have been bought from other jewellery shops.

The jeweller's wife also testified, recalling how her husband told her “he’s the one of AFM” as he took out the chain and weighed it for the accused. The woman also highlighted that the incident has affected their mental health saying that “when one knows that people have certain criminal records, you’ll never know what they are capable of.”

'He told me he’s going to make my life miserable' - police inspector

Police Inspector John Sammut testified about the alleged victims’ report over the incident. He explained that Keith Pace was arrested at the police station when he went to sign his bail book.

“He told me he’s going to make my life miserable" he said, also recalling insults. 

Carlos Pace immediately headed to the police station after Sammut informed him that his father had been arrested.

Under cross-examination, Sammut confirmed that the Pace had filed a report about gold which had been stolen from Carlos’ girlfriend but he said he could not confirm that “the police did nothing about the report”.

The defence suggested that Keith and Carlos Pace had turned up at the police station asking that they investigate the jeweller. The pair claimed that a police sergeant sent them home after allegedly telling them “if you do not reveal your source, I cannot do anything for you”.

Sammut said he was told as much but needed to verify what actually went on.

At the end of the sitting, the defence requested bail.

Police inspector Roderick Attard did not object in the case of Carlos Pace, noting that the man had voluntarily gone to the police station and cooperated fully with the police. The same could not be said of Keith Pace, the inspector said, noting the man’s colourful criminal record.

Defence lawyer Franco Debono countered that the incident has to be taken in context, that this was an “unfortunate” event where the accused “ended up victims of a theft” and someone pointed at the jeweller.

Carlos Pace, bail was granted against a €3,000 deposit and a €5,000 personal guarantee, while Keith Pace was granted bail against a €5,000 deposit and a €6,000 personal guarantee. They were ordered to sign the bail book three times a week. A curfew was also imposed.  A protection order was issued in favour of the jeweller, his wife and police inspector John Sammut.

Magistrate Rachel Montebello presided over the case.

Police inspectors Roderick Attard and John Sammut prosecuted. Lawyers Franco Debono and Marion Camilleri appeared for the accused. Lawyer Vince Micallef appeared for the alleged victims.