Charlestown teen, Ron Collins was yesterday sentenced to 56 months imprisonment after pleaded guilty to armed robbery.
Collins had first ap-peared before Chief Magis-trate Priya Sewnarine-Beharry where he pleaded not guilty
to robbing Holly Culpepper of $166,000 in items which were recovered on his person by police ranks. The matter was then transferred to Court Three where Collins changed his plea to guilty before Magistrate Judy Latchman.
According to the magistrate, the sentence was given after the court took into consideration the seriousness of the offence, the fact that Collins is only 19 as well as the fact that the young man worked as a plumber. However, Magistrate Latchman also noted that the court considered the fact that there has been an increase in armed robberies.
Imposing sentence, the magistrate said she hopes Collins will follow a straighter path in life.
Collins,19, of Lot 6 Ketley Street, Charlestown was first charged on April 7, after he was accused of robbing Culpepper at knife point of her BlackBerry cellular phone, Guess shades, handbag and cash. It was related to the court that Culpepper was walking out of Ramroop’s Furniture Store when she felt someone tugging on her bag. When she looked behind her, she saw Collins holding her handbag in his right hand, while in his left hand he held a knife. She immediately released the bag but as Collins attempted to escape on his bicycle, police ranks from Eve Leary, who were in a bus and had seen the robbery, opened the bus door on Collins causing him to fall. The items were recovered and Collins was taken to Ruimveldt Police station where he was arrested.
