A fish cleaner who yesterday admitted to a robbery, which he said he committed because he could not continue in his line of work, was admonished by a magistrate and sentenced to two years in prison.
Oswald Cumberbatch, 22, of 86 Laing Avenue, was charged before Magistrate Faith McGusty in the Georgetown Magistrates’ Court 5.
It was stated that Cumberbatch, on July 22 at Croal Street, Stabroek, Georgetown robbed Ansar Abdool of a cellphone valued $120,000 and a phone case valued $2,000.
He denied the charge.
Police Prosecutor Seon Blackman informed the court that on the day in question at around 8 am, Abdool was walking in the vicinity of the 44 minibus park when he was approached by Cumberbatch. Cumberbatch knocked him and he fell to the ground, before relieving him of his cellphone. He then tried to calmly walk away from the scene but was caught by Abdool, who held him in place until the police arrived.
Prosecutor Blackman then proceeded to object to bail being granted. He suggested to the magistrate that the offence was a prevalent one and deserves a punishment.
Magistrate McGusty then asked Cumberbatch once more if he would like to change his plea, to which he responded that he’d like to apologise for wasting the court’s time and changed his plea to guilty with explanation.
He told the magistrate that he knows what he did was wrong and he was sorry, but due to a misunderstanding between himself and another fish cleaner at the wharf, he could not continue his job and so on the day in question, he gave into temptation.
He pleaded with the magistrate to understand his situation, to which she said, “I will not tap you on your head and say sin no more”. She explained that the crime he admitted to is a very serious one, especially since he acknowledged that what he did was wrong.
Cumberbatch informed the magistrate that his daughter’s birthday is today, just before she quoted a line from the Lord’s Prayer, “Lead us not into temptation,” before proceeding to sentence him to two years in prison.
