A labourer was yesterday sentenced to a little over four years in jail for robbing an off-duty police constable.
Principal Magistrate Judy Latchman handed down the sentence to Darren Baley, 21, who admitted that he on March 1st, 2018, at Hincks Street, while armed with a pair of scissors, robbed Mahendra Doodnauth, of an LG phone, valued at $25,000, and a $2,000 wallet containing $240.
Police prosecutor Arvin Moore told the city court that on the day in question, the complainant was walking when he was approached by the defendant, who placed a pair of scissors to the lawman’s neck and relieved him of his possessions and made good his escape.
Moore noted that around the same time ranks from the Tactical Services Unit were passing through the area and they were alerted about the robbery. They later found Baley with the stolen items by the Stabroek Market clock.
Baley was said to have been identified by the complainant. He was subsequently taken to the Brickdam Police Station.
After Baley pleaded “guilty with explanation,” he told the court the situation was due to a case of mistaken identity since he thought Doodnauth was someone that he worked with in the interior and who owed him
After his explanation, the magistrate stated that she took into consideration Baley’s age, the fact that he is a labourer, the fact that a weapon was used in the attack, the seriousness of the offence and the need to deter others from committing similar offences, and she sentenced him to 50 months in prison.
