[www.inewsguyana.com] – The two University of Guyana students who were found guilty of an $8M armed robbery have been sentenced to do community service and undergo counselling by City Magistrate, Judy Latchman on Monday, August 04.
Darien Best, 20, of Lot 429 Guyhoc Park, Georgetown and Joel De Mendonca, 21, of Lot 17 Providence, East Bank Demerara, were both found guilty of robbing Golyn and Sons Fashion, on Regent Street, of a quantity of cell phones worth $8,968,000 on July 25, 2014.
Magistrate Latchman ordered that they perform six hours of community service for the next twenty-five Mondays along with a maximum period of counselling, as deemed fit by a probation officer.
De Mendonca was instructed to perform his community service at the National Library, while Best will be doing his at the Palms.
Failure to complete the sentences will result in them being imprisoned for 48 months. Prior to passing sentence, the Magistrate took into consideration the fact that the duo had no negative antecedents and that the probation reports were in their favour.
They were both charged and found guilty of two counts of robbery under arms, one of which stated that on January 25, 2014, being armed with a gun they robbed Golyn and Sons Fashion Store on Robb Street of a quantity of cellular phones worth $8,968,000.
Particulars of the other charge noted that they used a gun to further rob Mohanlall Narine, who is the store clerk of two gold and diamond rings valued at $500,000 as well as his $130,000 Samsung Galaxy cellular phone.
Morris Gibson, 22, of Lot 334 East Street, South Cummingsburg, Georgetown, was also charged with the duo; however the matter was discharged against him earlier in the trial.
It was the prosecution’s case that at around 09:00 hrs on the day in question, Gibson approached the clerk at the store inquiring about the prices of various cellular phones and a fan.
During that time, Best entered the store, approached the clerk and pointed a gun to his head and then ordered him to pack up the cell phones, to which the clerk complied.
Subsequently, Best left the store and joined a waiting car on King Street and escaped. Police acted on information received and intercepted Best and Gibson at Peter’s Hall. At that time, Best was carrying a haversack on his back which when checked by the ranks, revealed a quantity of cellular phones.
Best and Gibson were arrested and through police interrogation they subsequently led ranks to De Mendonca’s house in Providence. During their first appearance in court, the prosecutor informed the Court that De Mendonca confessed to being the driver who fled the scene with Best and Gibson.
This approach is both humanitarian and innovative. It acknowledges that criminals are socially constructed. As a society, even the self -righteous among us, we need to ask ourselves how are we representing success. We have established a paradigm rooted in material opulence from political leaders to the ordinary classes. We bombard youngsters with representations of power, success and humanness in terms of affluence. The end result is what we see – youngsters engaging in criminal activity in an attempt to fulfill the elusive material dream. They use the very guns those of us who own mansions market to them. Punitive measures do not stop crime. They merely give those of us who rightfully feel guilty for our part of destroying the youth a moral anesthesia for our guilt. On a final note, the fact that these youngsters are university students tells us that education which should be transforming the world morally is simply reinforcing the mantra “Money is success…money is power…money is being human…. I think this new approach is an admission that we are all guilty.
these thieves well i mean the robbers ( that granger pardon and many more who think they are allowed to do what they want) not the government for now, don’t know when sacrifices are made to develop ourselves and that of our families. their mentality is “tek wuh ya wan”……but i keep saying when the law fails …..two will play that game……. and when they ( the orders come down to lock up the working ones for defending their property) come for us they will beg for roger to come help them.
Let us all starting robbing people and do community services
Hopefully iStill not one of them that killed that poor old lady, but if it is no one will hear about it
I was just wondering abt the losses incurred by Golyn n sons… were they compensated for their loss? If not, then the perpetrators being sentenced to community service is a slap in the face!
The justice system gone on vacation, or to spend some of the millions in the head lines ever day, Guyanese COMEDY HRS
This is all the APNU doing. Granger made it clear that he will pardon youth criminals leaving the Magistrate with no choices. Welcome to the days of the PNC….for the next 30 years they will suffer to take them out of power. Did anyone observe the crime rate since they took office? Where is the un-educated Ramjattan? Let me guess – He and moses is in the USA hiding under a bomb shelter having a cold Carib beer! Guyana will NEVER improve under the APNU! These crooks have no economic skills…they will just put the power in buxton hands to loot, thief and rob….most people from these places dont work….they have sweet skin life style and think of ways to make easy money….
So true
Haven’t seen other media houses covering this story
What a backward country
Under this Regime CRIME is rewarded~
where are we going, armed robbery and sentenced to do community work at the National library and Palm, where does this TWO idiots have the GUNS from, unlicensed fire arm doesnt that by itself have a jail sentence.
Where is Justice??????????????????/
So we move from the Buxton liberators in opposition, we drape Blackies coffing with the Guyana Flag, we get into power through the back door then release 60 so called young folks who broke the law one way or the other, (no names released), we now in the realm of the officialdom, meaning specifically the APNU/AFC foisting upon the population through the judiciary to send these educated criminal minded miscreants into community service ? No wonder ….we are where we are …just a plaster on the sore….
Permission Granted to continue robbing