A youth was yesterday ordered to perform a month of community service or serve jail time after he pleaded guilty to robbery.
Omar Kenneth, 18, a first-time offender, was ordered to serve one month of community service with the city constabulary or serve a default sentence of three months in prison after he admitted to robbing Sohan Brijlall of two cellular phones in an attack on the 1st of December, 2018, at Industrial Site, Ruimveldt.
It was alleged that around 10 pm, Kenneth, accompanied by another person, approached Brijlall as he was walking home. His accomplice began choking Brijlall, while Kenneth went into the victim’s pocket and removed the two cellphones.
Brijlall raised an alarm as the two began running away and with the help of a policeman caught Kenneth. Both cell phones were recovered in Kenneth’s possession.
Prior to sentencing, Kenneth pleaded for a second chance.
When asked by Chief Magistrate Ann McLennan where he currently resides, after a long pause he finally said he had no permanent residence and spent most nights at his “friend and his father house at Sophia.” He also said he has not seen his mother since June, 2017 and that he had dropped out of school when he was in Third Form.
Due to Kenneth’s past, the Chief Magistrate also ordered that he attend counselling sessions.
