Two men who beat and robbed a Tableland family of more than $.5 million were each sentenced to four years in prison on Thursday.
One of their accomplices was shot and killed by the police. Nicholas Alexander, 22, and Josiah Bobb, 18, both of St Margaret’s Village, Claxton Bay, blamed poverty for their actions and asked for a second chance.
They pleaded guilty in the Rio Claro Magistrates Court to three offences of robbery with violence. Alexander also pleaded guilty to possession of a firearm and ammunition.
They were among five men, armed with firearms, who accosted a 56-year-old old grocery proprietor at his home around 9.20 pm on April 27.
Prosecutor Sgt Shazeed Mohammed said he was struck on his face several times with a gun. They tied him up and stole his $2,000 wrist watch. While they were ransacking the house, Mohammed said the man’s niece and nephew arrived home. They were accosted by two of the intruders who forced them into their home.
The nephew was beaten, robbed of his $6,500 cellphone and tied up while his sister was robbed of her $4,500 cellphone. When she refused to open a safe in the cupboard, she was cuffed in the stomach.
She eventually opened it. The robbers stole US$70,000, TT$150,000, jewellery worth US$1,600 and TT$4,800, as well as a $5,000 Beretta 9 mm pistol and 12 rounds of 9 mm ammunition, valued $50, from inside the safe.
They then forced the proprietor to open the grocery which is on the same compound.
Officers of the Tableland Police Station arrived on the scene and while the robbers were still at the property but they managed to escape. Shortly after, Bobb was found by the police hiding inside the house while Alexander was arrested while walking along the Naparima Mayaro Road.
A firearm was found tucked in the waist of Alexander’s trousers loaded with six rounds of ammunition.
A quantity of money and jewelry were found on him while a gold ring was found on Bobb. The US$70,000 and other stolen items were not recovered. They were charged by PC Ramkissoon and Sgt Anil Sankar.
Their attorney Petronilla Basdeo said they both came from decent and humble single mother homes. Both were unemployed and the father of one child, she said they were recruited by Christian Young, the accomplice who was killed, to do the job for “small change.”
She said they were the lookout people. Both secondary school drop outs, she said they were apologetic to their families for embarrassing them and to the victims.
Basdeo said the men hoped for a second chance to start over as they and no previous convictions or pending matters.
The prosecutor said another family member who was warded at the nursing home died on Wednesday after learning of the incident. Magistrate Nalini Singh sentenced them to four years on each of the robbery charges while Alexander was sentenced to one year each on the firearm and ammunition charges.
These sentences were ordered to run concurrently.