A man who said that he escaped from the custody of police because he did not want to leave his mother alone and that frustration over not having money led him to robbing a woman was yesterday handed a four-year prison term when he appeared at the Georgetown Magistrates’ Court.
Wayne Baker accepted that on June 2 at Georgetown, he robbed Ashley Marques of one purse, a cell phone and a quantity of cash all totalling $13,460; and that at the same time, immediately before, or immediately after; he made use of personal violence to Marques.
Baker, a minibus conductor, also pleaded guilty to an April 2 charge which stated that while being in the lawful custody of Lance Corporal Downer, he escaped.
When given a chance to explain; Baker, 28, said that he escaped from custody because he was the only person to care for his 85-year-old mother who at the time was suffering from diabetes.
Begging for mercy in a tearful tone, Baker said that his mother died on Saturday, June 1, 2013.
He further explained that the following day he travelled to Georgetown from his home in Linden with the intention of purchasing wood to build her casket.
According to him, he became frustrated because he had no money to travel back to Linden and as a result committed the robbery.
Presenting the facts of the case which were not refuted by the defendant, prosecutor Venetta Pindar said that on the day of the robbery, the complainant was on Regent Street speaking on her cell phone when she was approached by the defendant who held on to her, demanding that she hand over same and her purse to him.
According to Pindar, the virtual complainant refused to hand over the items to Baker who then pulled them away and made good his escape.
The court however further heard from the prosecution that a plain-clothes police officer who was in the vicinity at the time pursued and later apprehended the defendant upon whose person the items were found.
He was subsequently arrested and charged.
Pindar explained that it was while the defendant was at the Brickdam Police Station and being booked for this offence that it was realised that he had escaped from lawful custody.
As regards the latter offence, Pindar said that on April 2, Baker was one of several others in the prisoners’ van who were being taken back to the prisons after making court appearances earlier that day.
She said that while still in handcuffs, Baker waited until all the other prisoners had disembarked the vehicle and executed his escape.
The court heard that his actions were caught on surveillance cameras.
After hearing the case, Chief Magistrate Priya Sewnarine-Beharry before whom Baker appeared, handed down the four-year prison term.
The defendant was sentenced to three years for the escaping charge and one year for the robbery charge.
In its ruling, the court emphasised that the offence is a serious and prevalent one and that the defendant has pending matters before the courts.
Meanwhile, explaining the mitigating circumstance, the magistrate noted that the defendant pleaded guilty to the offences at the first given opportunity and did not waste the court’s time in otherwise having to conduct a trial.
