Żurrieq jeweller killer jailed for 32 years

Updated 3.20pm

A man who beat a jeweller with a knife handle and left him to die following a botched robbery has been jailed for 32 years following a plea deal.

Joseph Carabott, 67, was discovered lying in a pool of blood in his shop on Triq Dun Ġużepp Żammit, Żurrieq in August 2023. He was left with brain damage and died last month. 

Mohamed Anas Boualam initially denied charges of grevious bodily harm and kidnap but changed his plea to guilty in a sitting earlier this month when the murder charge was added. 

On Thursday the court explained that the prosecution and defence had reached a plea deal and jointly asked for a 32-year prison term and a €116.47 fine. The court upheld the agreement and also ordered him to pay €38,969.22 in court expenses. 

His co-accused, Zouhair Hadoumi, 28, continues to deny the charges while a third person, Donna Sciberras, previously admitted her role in the botched heist and was sentenced to 28 years in prison.

Mohamed Anas Boualam, Donna Borg Sciberras and Zouhair Hadoumi arriving for their arraignment after being charged with the attempted murder of jeweller Joseph Carabott on August 25, 2023.

Carabott was found by his children, who had gone to look for him after he did not turn up to play tennis with his wife. His son testified that the violent criminals had left his father in a state that was "worse than being dead". 

One of the accused trio, Sciberras, testified against the others, claiming her two accomplices beat the victim senseless after he resisted their attempts to rob the store. 

She described the "scary sight" of Mohamed Anas Boualam hit him repeatedly in the face with the handle of a large knife after Zouhair Hadouni pinned him down. 

“His face was battered... A swollen face. There was a lot of blood. Dentures out. Blood on the floor,” Sciberras had told the court.

She said the two continued to beat Carabott in the face and back even after they tied him up, she said.

The idea of robbing the Żurrieq jeweller was hers, she said, having first heard of the store when she was in prison. An inmate had told her that the store did not have CCTV cameras.

While the plan was to rob the premises, Boualam came up with the idea of taking a 14cm knife "just in case something happens". 

The shop was closed but Carabott allowed Sciberras in when she told him she wanted to buy some gold for her partner.

When Hadouni walked in, she told the victim: "This is a robbery", and began stealing gold.

After the men had beaten and tied Carabott up, Boualam threatened him:  “Be quiet or I’ll kill you! I’ll slit your throat”.

According to Sciberras' testimony, right before they left, Boualam pulled Carabott’s head up, placed a knife against his neck and asked: “Shall we kill him?”

Sciberras said she told him “Let’s go, we’ve stolen enough”.

Madam Justice Consuelo Scerri Herrera presided over the Criminal Court.AG lawyers Kaylie Bonett and Anthony Vella prosecuted, assisted by police inspector Lydon Zammit.  Defence lawyers George Anton Buttigieg appeared for the accused. Lawyers Stephen Tonna Lowell and Ana Thomas assisted the victim’s family.