A man who acted as a lookout as his accomplice beat a woman and her son and stole the boy’s phone has been jailed for 38 months.
Alvin Thomas appeared in the Siparia Magistrates’ Court where he pleaded guilty to assaulting Diane Sirjusingh with intent to rob and robbing and beating her 14-year-old son. Thomas is related to the victims.
When confronted by the police with video footage from the incident, Thomas reportedly said, “Yeah, that’s me.”
The incident took place on March 18 at Delhi Road, Fyzabad. Prosecutor Sgt Starr Jacob said around 10 am the mother and son were walking along the road when they were approached by Thomas and another man.
Thomas’s accomplice announced a hold-up and began pulling the woman’s handbag. The woman was beaten repeatedly beaten on her head and shoulder when she refused to let go of her bag. The boy was also hit on the head and upper body when he tried to help his mother. Fearing for their lives, the boy then handed over his $2,800 cellphone to the man. The men then ran off.
After conducting inquiries and obtaining the footage, police went to John Jules Trace, Fyzabad, where they arrested Thomas. He told the police he did not know what overtook him that day. He admitted to being the lookout for “police and cars.” The officers searched his house but the phone was not found. The footage, which included two clips, was not shown to First Court Senior Magistrate Margaret Alert yesterday, as it was in the possession of the Cyber Crime Unit. The prosecutor said inquiries were continuing in relation to the second man, who is well known to the police.
The magistrate eventually sentenced Thomas to 38 months on each charge to run concurrently.