A 28-year-old father of seven will spend the next 56 months behind bars after a court found him guilty of assisting his co-conspirator to snatch another man’s chain from round his neck.
Welder Quincy Letlow was yesterday convicted of an October 28 charge which stated that at the corner of Croal and Water streets, Georgetown, he and another person, robbed Paul De Nobrega of a gold chain valued $230,000.
The prosecution’s facts are that on the day in question the virtual complainant (VC) was on Water and Croal streets when a man approached and snatched his chain, making good his escape after the defendant started cuffing De Nobrega.
The defendant had denied the charge of robbery with aggravation when it was read to him and had remained on remand.
Letlow, who appeared visibly distressed and uneasy, fidgeted as he stood in the prisoners’ dock. He constantly tossed from side-to-side after Magistrate Judy Latchman handed down her ruling.
At the close of the prosecution’s case and after being informed that a prima facie case had been made out against him, the unrepresented defendant indicated to the court when asked, that he had no witnesses to call in his defence.
In ruling, the court detailed that the prosecution had discharged its burden of proof of having to substantiate that the defendant acted in concert with another and had the intention of appropriating and permanently depriving the complainant of his chain and placed him in fear.
Reviewing the evidence presented during the trial, Magistrate Latchman noted that Letlow’s intention to appropriate and permanently deprive the complainant of his chain existed after the chain snatcher who remains at large, instructed him to cuff De Nobrega to his face during which time the chain snatcher ran away.
The court then went on to note that Letlow’s admitted presence at the scene and his participation in the commission of the crime by hitting the VC substantiated that he acted in concert with the chain snatcher.
These factors, the magistrate surmised, culminated in causing fear in De Nobrega who summoned a nearby police officer who also witnessed Letlow cuffing him to his face.
The defendant who shook his head repeatedly, maintained his innocence citing that he has seven minor children to maintain in addition to a pregnant reputed wife.
Before informing Letlow that he would be sentenced to 56 months in jail, Magistrate Latchman noted the aggravating factors of the defendant having been previously convicted and sentenced to nine months in prison on two counts of larceny.
Additionally, he was imprisoned for nine months for resisting arrest and six months on an assault charge.
Finally, the court took note of the organized manner in which the offence was carried out.
