A 23-year-old man has been sentenced to four years hard labour after he pleaded guilty to four offences of armed robbery.Joshua Johnson, of Arima, who has been in custody since his arrest last year, had initially pleaded not guilty to the charges.However, when he reappeared before San Fernando Second Court Magistrate Siumungal Ramsaran, on Thursday he admitted carrying out the two robberies, in which four women were robbed.
He was arrested in March last year after his fingerprints were found at one of the crime scenes.Police prosecutor Veano Ragoo said around 2.20 pm on January 26, 2013, Johnson and another man entered Western Union with a firearm and a hammer. They robbed the female employee of TT$23,306, US$840 and $140 pounds.When the crime scene was processed by the police, the fingerprint technician found Johnson's prints.
The second robbery took place 9.15 am on February 4, 2013. Ragoo said the accused and another person entered Village Plaza supermarket in Pleasantville and robbed Sueann Fraser, Abigail Alexander and Victoria Taylor.They were robbed of $20,000, $4,000 and $6,000 respectively.Johnson was positively identified in an ID parade at the Malabar Police Station.
He subsequently confessed to the second robbery. "Officer, leh me tell you the truth, me and my partner name Muslim was looking for a phone, so we went and rob Western Union."Johnson admitted to having three previous convictions in 2010, 2011 and 2012 for marijuana and cocaine possession.Asking for leniency, he said he "didn't really know" his parents and grew up with his grandmother. He used to work with his uncle in a garage.