Man who borrowed gun, to ‘raise school clothes money’ jailed

Aug 22, 2019 News

A vendor was yesterday sentenced to a total of ten years’ in prison for armed robbery and possession of a gun and ammunition.
Raheem Abdul of Lot 17 Broad and Lombard Streets, Charlestown, appeared before Chief Magistrate Ann McLennan in the Georgetown Magistrates’ Courts, and pleaded guilty to all four charges that were read to him.
The first charge stated that on August 17, last, at Lombard Street, Georgetown, while in the company of another and armed with a gun, Abdul robbed Amos Rampajan of $70,000 cash and a cell phone valued at $42,000.
The second charge stated that on the same date and at the same location, while in the company of another and again armed with a gun, he robbed Kumar Singh of $14,000 cash and a cell phone valued at $25,000.
The court also heard that on August 17, 2019, at Broad Street, Charlestown, Abdul had in his possession three .38 rounds of ammunition without being a licensed firearm holder.
And the final charge stated that on the same date and location he had in his possession one .38 revolver without being a licensed firearm holder.
According to information, on the day in question about 03:30 hrs Rampajan and Singh, both vendors, were on Lombard Street, when they were approached by Abdul, who was in the company of another individual, and was armed with a gun.
The court then heard that Abdul and the other man held Singh and Rampajan at gunpoint and demanded that they handed over their valuables; the two men in fear for their lives complied.
However, Abdul started to demand more money and placed a gun to Rampajan’s head and started to count to five. Rampajan then lead him to his bus, in which his wife was seated, and she handed over a purse containing a sum of cash and other documents.
The two men then escaped on a cycle on Lombard Street. After the incident, Rampajan and Singh went and reported the matter at the Alberttown Police Station. Abdul was later pursued as a suspect and upon seeing the police, he threw the gun and ammunition under a house.
The said firearm and ammunition were retrieved in Abdul’s presence where the allegations were put to him, and he admitted to the offences.
Abdul was then positively identified by the two vendors whom he robbed at gunpoint. Further investigations were then carried out.
“I apologise and I’m asking the court to be lenient with me, I have five children to look after,” Abdul told the court after police prosecutor Gordon Mansfield read the facts of the charge.
He further mentioned, “I went and borrow the gun to raise lil money to help buy school clothes.”
After listening to the defendant and the prosecutor’s facts, Chief Magistrate McLennan sentenced Abdul to three years each on the robbery charges, two years for the ammunition and two years for the firearm – a total of ten years. The sentences will run concurrently, so he will spend three years behind bars.

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