By Ayanna Blair
Acting Chief Magistrate Melissa Robertson on Tuesday sentenced a 47-year-old electrician to nine years imprisonment when he appeared at the Georgetown Magistrate’s Court charged with stealing items from a man’s car, chopping the man’s friend and attempting to burgle another’s home all in the space of two days.

Shawn Benjamin of Lot 45 Hadfield Street, Stabroek, who displayed a large wound with several stitches on his forehead as he stood in the courtroom, entered guilty pleas to the charges of felonious wounding, attempting to commit a felony and simple larceny.

He admitted that on May 21 with intent to commit the felony of burglary, he broke and entered the dwelling house of Royston Hurry.

He also admitted that the next day he stole three suitcases, a quantity of clothing, twelve pairs of boots and  a cell phone among other items, valued at $3,615,000, the property of Ian Prince.

Benjamin later admitted that on the same night he unlawfully and maliciously wounded Seon Clement, with intent to maim, disfigure, disable or cause him grievous bodily harm.

Prosecutor Stephen Telford stated that regarding  the attempted burglary matter, Hurry had secured his home and went to bed but was awakened by a strange noise.

He said that Hurry’s nephew, who was in the house at the time, also awoke and when they went down to the lower flat of the two-storey house they found the front door opened and a stranger in the house.

He said that the nephew then armed himself with a cutlass and hid behind a chair and  when the person came within  reach he fired a chop to the man’s  head.

He said that the person then screamed fled the house. A report of the incident was  made subsequently.

Hurry, who was also present in court, stated that he thought that the person whom he later found out was Benjamin might have gone to the hospital to treat the wound on his head but instead he went and committed several other offences.

As it relates to the theft at Prince’s home, the prosecutor stated that at around 1:30 hours Prince had parked his car outside his home and secured the articles mentioned in the charge in the trunk.

An hour later, Prince received a call from someone informing him that a man was stealing the items from his car.

Telford noted that Prince immediately went to the car and discovered the car doors and trunk were open and the items missing.

Acting upon information received Prince and his friend Clement went to Benjamin’s home at Hadfield Street and upon seeing them Benjamin armed himself with a cutlass and dealt Clement a chop to his head and one to his abdomen but he was prevented from inflicting further injuries since several public-spirited citizens including Prince apprehended him.

He was later handed over to the police and he then admitted  he had stolen the items mentioned in the charge.

He even told the police where to find the suitcases with the items, which were recovered from his home. The cell phone was found in his pants pockets.

Benjamin stated that “He (Clement) injure me so I injure he back.” He added, “yes I thief the items from the car cause at the time that I was passing I saw dem unprotected so I tek dem away.”

He noted that regarding the attempted burglary “dem (Prince and his nephew) sey dey chop a man in he head who went in dem house and when I dey get arrested I had a chop in me head …so I just take de blame for everything so I cud done de story quick.”

Telford then requested that the sentencing for the offences run consecutively since “it clearly shows that the defendant had intentions of depriving the VCs of their articles that he had stolen and after being caught instead of giving up he armed himself with a cutlass and inflicted grievous bodily harm on one of the VCs.”

Benjamin, wearing a blank expression,  was later escorted out of the courtroom  by a policeman.