(Trinidad Express) A NUTS VENDOR who kidnapped and robbed a taxi driver and broke into his home will spend the next seven years in jail.
Rory Henry was arrested near the victim’s washroom. He appeared before the San Fernando Court charged that last Sunday he along with two others, took and unlawfully carried away Michael Williamson against his will. It was also alleged that, armed with a cutlass, they robbed him of a $2,000 cellular phone, $510 cash and a bunch of keys valued $50 and also broke into Williamson’s home with intent to steal.
The charges were laid by corporal Narine Bisnath.
Henry faced senior magistrate Cherril-Anne Antoine. Police prosecutor Cleyon Seedan told the court it was at 1a.m. that Williamson was walking toward his gate at his San Fernando home when he was approached by three men, including Henry. Williamson ran and they chased him onto Roodal Street where they ordered Williamson into a car and took him to Rambert Village, San Fernando where they robbed him. The men then sped off in the vehicle.
Williamson made the report via a phone to the San Fernand CID and Bisnath and constables Michael Ragoonanan, Michael Noel, Curlene Gopie, Ashram Basdeo and Sheldon Gosine went to Rambert Village where they met him. He took them to his home where Bisnath saw the front door was open. The officers entered and searched the premises and found Henry in a room near the toilet.
He was identified by Williamson as one of the people who kidnapped and robbed him. When told by the officers of the report against him, Henry said, “I in a little problem. I owing some money and went to get a food. I sorry.” The keys were found in his pocket. He admitted, “This is the keys we take from Michael and I went inside the house.”
Williams told the court he knew Henry for over 20 years but they were not friends.
Defence attorney Michelle Rampaul said no physical violence was done toward Williamson as he was not beaten, tied up or damaged. She also said that there was no damage to property. Rampaul said the nuts vendor and father of two adult children had three previous convictions. Concerning the incident, she said Henry was in a difficult situation concerning money and “acted in a moment of desperation.”
In reviewing Henry’s criminal record, Antoine said he had one conviction over the past ten years for which he was sentenced to 60 days in prison. Henry was also sentenced to a ten year jail term back in 1986.
The magistrate said his guilty plea was the only mitigating factor in the matter. She said everything else was aggravating and told Henry that it was a serious offence of kidnapping and that he was found in the victim’s house. She also said Williamson’s cellular phone and money were still missing.
Antoine gave the one-third deduction for the guilty plea and sentenced Henry to seven years in jail for kidnapping Williamson and five years on each charge of breaking into the victim’s home and robbing him.
