A Kitty man was yesterday sentenced to four years in prison for an armed robbery charge and is still facing potential sentencing for six other similar charges.
Jamal Cromwell, 25, of 26 Dowding Street, Kitty, had initially appeared before Chief Magistrate Priya Sewnarine-Beharry on seven counts of armed robbery spanning between October 12, 2013 and November 23, 2013.
According to the charges the man had robbed at least 7 persons with different weapons, including a gun, an ice pick and a knife.
Yesterday, Cromwell was sentenced for the November 22 armed robbery of Laverne Griffith. He was also accused of using violence sometime before or after the robbery.
The case was transferred to the court of Magistrate Ann McLennan on February 11, 2014 by the Chief Magistrate.
According to Prosecutor Deniro Jones, Griffith had just withdrawn $400,000 from her bank account and was proceeding south along Avenue of the Republic when she was approached by the defendant from behind. Cromwell had first attempted to grab Griffith’s shoulder bag from behind but his initial bid was unsuccessful. After Griffith turned around and caught a glimpse of Cromwell, the man once again attempted to grab her bag and was successful the second time around. He eventually escaped on a CG motorbike. Besides her $400,000, Griffith also had a $3,500 shoulder bag and personal documents stolen.
Cromwell had been apprehended by the police after he had gone to the Georgetown Public Hospital (GPH) to seek medical attention for a gunshot wound he was nursing. A doctor was alerted about his admission and the police were notified of the situation. According to reports, Cromwell sustained the injury during a robbery attempt, which was stopped in the process by a police officer. The man had allegedly discharged shots at the officer who had returned fire.
Cromwell was also identified by several of the virtual complainants during identification parades.
During the trial, Prosecutor Jones was able to prove beyond a reasonable doubt that Cromwell had robbed Griffith.
Before the sentence was handed down, Cromwell begged the magistrate for leniency.
While handing down the sentence, Magistrate McLennan emphasised the fact that armed robberies were prevalent in Guyana. She further added that crimes committed using CG bikes were on the rise. As a result, Cromwell was sentenced to four years imprisonment.
He will have his next armed robbery case heard by Magistrate Ann McLennan on March 14.
