Two men will each spend the next 18 months in prison after being found guilty of snatching a woman’s gold chain.
Magistrate Judy Latchman handed down the sentences to Jason Lawrence and Jonathan Soodoo, who were found guilty of committing the crime at the conclusion of a trial yesterday at the Georgetown Magistrates’ Court.
The magistrate informed that the prosecution had dispensed its burden of proof beyond reasonable doubt and that the court was satisfied that the defendants had committed the offence.
Relatives of the men, who were present in the courtroom, were teary-eyed after hearing that they had been found guilty.
Soodoo, 19, resides at 7 Charlestown. Meanwhile, Lawrence, 22, resides at 26 Hill Street, Albouystown.
The facts are that on May 31, at 3:30pm, Odetta Green was walking along High Street when Lawrence rode up on a motorcycle and tapped her on her shoulders before snatching her chain. Green raised an alarm and pursued Lawrence, who sped off with Soodoo, who was the pillion rider.
The men were later positively identified at the Police Station and arrested and charged.
The two men were arraigned on June 3 on a robbery from the person charge, which stated that they stole a gold chain valued $300,000 from the person of Green.
The men denied the charge but they were remanded to prison by the magistrate.
Soodoo, however, subsequently obtained his pre-trial liberty after applying for bail in the High Court. Lawrence remained imprisoned throughout the trial.
