“ I fly in a passion and start broadsiding he. It ain’t mek sense but you have to be truthful to yourself and others,” were the words of man who pleaded guilty to robbing a Cuban.
27-year-old Akeem Morris, a clothes vendor of 498 Laing Avenue, Georgetown, and Samuel Shepard, 24, a labourer of 548 ‘B’ Field Sophia, Georgetown, appeared before Chief Magistrate Ann McLennan in the Georgetown Magistrates’ Courts.
The unrepresented men were jointly charged with two offences.
The first charge stated that on December 29, at Georgetown, while being armed with cutlasses, they robbed Jose Sequuea of a phone valued $40,000 and $4,000 cash.
It was further alleged that on the same day and at the same location, while being armed with cutlasses, they robbed Diego Bettencourt of a phone valued $25,000.
Morris pleaded guilty to robbing Sequuea and denied robbing Bettencourt while Shepard denied both allegations.
Facts presented by Police Prosecutor, Gordon Mansfield stated that on the day in question, at around 08:00 hrs, both victims who are Cubans were at the Stabroek Market purchasing fruits.
The court heard that Morris who was in the company of Shepard approached Sequuea and placed a cutlass to his neck and relieved him of his phone and cash.
The men then attempted to make good their escape but police on bicycle patrol were able to arrest them.
The defendants were then taken into custody. An identification parade was then conducted and they were positively identified by the victims as the person who robbed them.
The Magistrate, after listening to facts, sentenced Morris to 18 months behind bars.
Shepard was however remanded to prison and instructed to make his next court appearance on January 8.
