Mugger jailed for 56 months, attempts to assault reporters

Feb 22, 2014 News

A handful of reporters attempting to take pictures of a convicted mugger yesterday got the scare of their lives when the 21-year-old man violently hurled a piece of wood at them.
Wendell Austin, with his handcuffed in front of him, grabbed a piece of wood that was lying on the track leading to the prisoners’ chute and hurled it at the reporters who were standing about 12 feet away from him. They managed to escape injury.
At the time of the incident, Austin was making his way to the courtroom of Magistrate Judy Latchman at the Georgetown Magistrates’ Court for her ruling at the conclusion of his trial for an armed robbery he committed on January 4, last.
The charge which was read to him first by Chief Magistrate Priya Sewnarine-Beharry detailed that at Longden Street, Georgetown while in the company of others and armed with a knife, robbed Kishan Persaud of one Toshiba laptop computer, one BlackBerry Bold cellular phone, one silver band and ring.
The prosecution said that the items which belonged to Persaud amounted to $216,000. However, Austin had pleaded not guilty to the charge and the matter was subsequently transferred to Magistrate Latchman who after a trial yesterday found him guilty.
Austin, of Lot 134 Canterbury Walk, Beterverwagting, East Coast Demerara was unrepresented by legal counsel.
The Prosecution’s case is that about 12:30 hours on that day the victim, a teacher, was journeying to the Timehri Bus Park and walking along Longden Street when he was cornered
by the accused and another male.
The two placed a knife to the neck of the victim and relieved him of the items mentioned in the charge. The matter was reported and the accused who was subsequently arrested was later identified in an Identification Parade.
Ever since his first court hearing on January 8, he had been held on remand. His trial had started on January 24 and concluded on Friday February 21, 2014.
In handing down her decision, Magistrate Latchman told Austin “I am satisfied that you tried to deprive Kishan Persaud of his belongings. The court hereby finds you guilty as charged.”
Austin however, maintained that he had no knowledge of the incident. When asked by the Magistrate whether he would like to say anything to the court he said “But ma worship I wasn’t there.”
In response Magistrate Latchman said that she considered the mitigating factors, the serious nature and prevalence of the offence as well as the organised manner the crime was committed and the fact that a weapon was use.
She exacted the crime to 56 months imprisonment.

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Mugger jailed for 56 months, attempts to assault reporters

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