Two men convicted of attempted armed robbery. Baldacchino's appeal was fully dismissed. Vella's sentence was reduced because one drug charge had become time-barred.
Court of Criminal Appeal · Judge Dr. Edwina Grima LL.D. · 27 March 2026
On 13 November 2018 at around 8:10pm, Marlon Baldacchino and Luke Vella attempted to rob Crystal Palace bar in Zabbar, together with a third person. The robbery attempt was armed, violent and exceeded €2,329.37 in potential value. Vella was also charged separately with cocaine possession, driving without insurance, driving without a licence, and breaching bail conditions. Both appealed. Baldacchino's appeal was dismissed entirely — he had not done sufficient rehabilitation work to justify a lesser community-based sentence. Vella's appeal was partially successful. The cocaine possession charge was found to be prescribed — too much time had passed between the offence and the prosecution. The court declared that charge time-barred, reduced his sentence from 32 to 28 months, and corrected his driving disqualification from 24 months to just 1 month under the correct legal provision.
Baldacchino: Full appeal dismissed, original sentence confirmed. Vella: Cocaine charge declared prescribed (time-barred), sentence reduced from 32 to 28 months, driving disqualification reduced from 24 months to 1 month.
Criminal Code Ch. 9 — conspiracy, attempted qualified robbery; Dangerous Drugs Ordinance Ch. 101 — cocaine possession