5 years jail for Palmiste robbery

Two men were sentenced in the San Fernando Magistrates Court to five years’ imprisonment for the October 26 robbery of a house in Palmiste.

The accused were held at C3 Centre in Corinth within minutes of committing the crime.

Gabriel Blake, 22, and Victor Espinoza, 32, both of Chaguanas, pleaded guilty before Senior Magistrate Cherril-Anne Antoine to charges of robbery and possession of a gun and ammunition.

After their plea, court prosecutor Cleyon Seedan told Magistrate Antoine that at about 9.55 pm, police responded to a report of a robbery in Palmiste near San Fernando.

PCs Joseph Charles, Kerry Boochun, Shiva Roopchand and Alex Mohammed later intercepted a car at the C3 Centre car park. Blake and Espinoza were arrested and according to the prosecutor, all the stolen items were recovered. The items included a licensed gun, jewelry valued $20,000, six cell phones and 2,000 in cash. Seedan said two occupants of the house were beaten.

Attorney Michael Rooplal, who represented Blake and Espinoza, pleaded to Magistrate Antoine to consider that the accused men hold dual citizenship of TT and Venezuela and committed the crime because they were desperate for money to buy food locally to send to their families on the mainland.

Magistrate Antoine was not moved and sentenced both men to five years’ imprisonment with hard labour.