Latest update April 5th, 2025 12:08 AM
Latest News
Teen gets 60 months for brazen robbery
Less than one week after being jailed for a violently attacking his accuser in a courtroom, a Linden youth cried as he was jailed for sixty months on a Robbery with Aggravation charge yesterday.
Guilty: Wesley Griffith
The courtroom of Magistrate Judy Latchman was reminded of the day 19-year-old Wesley Griffith and a few friends visited Derek Haley’s business place in North Sophia, Greater Georgetown.
Under the guise of being customers interested in making purchase, the crew proceeded to severely thrash Haley before making off with his motorcycle, two cellular phones and a quantity of cash.
The gang escaped that day, but Griffith was later caught and charged.
The charge against Griffith stated that on June 26, 2013 at Lot 14 North Sophia, Greater Georgetown, he robbed Haley of the aforementioned articles which amounted to $277,000.
In court he had denied knowledge of the incident. A trial subsequently got underway at the Georgetown Magistrates’ Court.
The case was prosecuted by Inspector Joel Ricknauth and Griffith was unrepresented by legal counsel. The trial concluded yesterday.
When called upon to lead his defence, Griffith opted to remain silent and did not call any witness.
As she ruled, Magistrate Latchman said that she believed that Griffith’s intention was to deprive Haley of his items and that violence was clearly used to attain that end.
She said that the court had considered the evidence presented by the Prosecution and had found Griffith guilty as charged.
As focus shifted to his antecedents, Inspector Ricknauth revealed that the teen is currently before the courts on six robbery under arms charges. He said that Griffith was charged too for the illegal possession of a firearm as well as matching ammunition, and that he had also been sentenced to five months imprisonment last Wednesday by Magistrate Geeta Chandan-Edmond for beating Haley in the said courtroom.
Addressing the court during mitigation, the teenager said “Your honour, in this case here with Mr. Haley, me ain’t see no proper evidence brought against me to be found guilty.”
He revealed that prior to being ordered into police custody, he had been employed as a welder/fabricator.
Griffith was admonished for his actions. Magistrate Latchman told him what he had done was a terrible thing.
She stated that she had considered all the mitigating factors in his favour, his antecedents as well as the prevalence of the offence.
The court, she said, had mulled over the organised manner in which the crime was committed since he had approached the businessman, feigning interest in purchasing a motorcycle.
“I have considered too that there is a need to prevent others from contemplating committing this offence as well as you yourself.”
Griffith was then sentenced to 60 months imprisonment.
Magistrate Latchman instructed that his jail term will commence after he would have completed his first jail term.
Similar Articles
THE BLUNT OF THE DAY
Sports
Features/Columnists
The One-Man Republic
Peeping Tom… Kaieteur News- There exists, tucked away on the margin of maps and minds, a country that has perfected... more
The U.S. “Joining” the Commonwealth: an unreasonable expectation
By Sir Ronald Sanders Kaieteur News- Recent media stories have suggested that King Charles III could “invite” the United... more
Weekend Cartoon
