‘Cobra’ appeal severity of sentence

Feb 20, 2018 News

Tyrone Rowe called ‘Cobra’

Some five years after he was sentenced to serve 78 years in prison for murder, Tyrone Rowe against the State is set to be heard at the Court of Appeal in Kingston, next month .
In 2013 Rowe, called ‘Cobra’, was sentenced to 78 years imprisonment by Justice Navindra Singh following a guilty verdict returned after four hours deliberation by a 12-member mixed jury.
Back then, Rowe through his attorney Hookumchand appealed the severity of the sentence.
Unfortunately Rowe‘s attorney died a few years after the matter. Yesterday, when the matter came up before the Appeal Court, no attorney was present on behalf of the appellant (Rowe).
The matter was therefore adjourned matter until March 14 allowing the appellant time to retain counsel. In the event that Rowe cannot afford a lawyer, one will be provided by the State.
In 2010, Rowe, 17 years old at the time, found himself on a list of Guyana’s most wanted. He was on the run. A $1M reward was offered for information leading to Rowe’s arrest.
He was later charged for Troy Collymore’s murder and was accused of robbing Mark Hunte on May 16, 2010, of articles valued $160,000. A third charge stated that Rowe, armed with a gun, robbed Troy Collins, of gold and diamond jewellery valued $1.4M.
Rowe whose address was given as Lot 268 Independence Boulevard, La Penitence, was further accused of damaging one mirror at the Brickdam Police Station on September 4, 2010.
During his trial in the High Court, nine witnesses testified on behalf of the prosecution. This included the mother of the deceased and a police eyewitness who placed the accused at the scene of the crime.
At the time of sentencing, the Judge had explained that based on the use of a firearm during the robbery he would get five years, for the death of the victim, Troy Collymore called ‘Collie’ and ‘Nelly’ during the course of a dangerous felony, he received 10 years.
For previous criminal matters, Rowe got three years, while the remainder of the sentence was attributed to Collymore’s murder.
Rowe was one of the first persons found guilty of murder given an alternative sentencing since legislation against the death penalty was changed. Two years earlier, the accused would have been sentenced to death.

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