'Tick' from Moruga jailed for taxi robberies

A male passenger who pounced on other passengers, including a secondary schoolboy, by robbing them at gunpoint of their cellphones and cash has been sentenced to six years in jail with hard labour.

Rickie "Tick" Ayres, 43, of Douglas Trace, St Mary's Village in Moruga, faced Master Margaret Sookraj-Goswami on May 3, charged with eight counts of robbery with aggravation from three incidents.

Ayres was also charged with having a gun and ammunition from another incident.

The labourer pleaded guilty to all offences after a summary trial was recommended.

He was sentenced to six years in jail on each robbery charge and three years each for having the gun and ammunition– a total of 54 years. The sentences are to run concurrently which means he will only spend six years in jail.

The court contended that at around 1.14 pm on April 22, four passengers (a male student, two women and a man) were in a maxi taxi on their way to Rio Claro from Princes Town. Ayres was also a passenger.

On reaching St Julien Village, he pulled out a gun that was hidden under his clothes and announced a robbery.

He robbed a schoolboy of a cell phone worth $1,600.

He also robbed a female passenger of her cellphone worth $1,500 and another woman of her cellphone worth $1,300.

He robbed the adult male passenger of $300.

Ayres ordered the male driver to stop, and he complied. Ayres then robbed the driver of a quantity of money before running along the Naparima Mayaro Road.

The victims reported the matter to the police and officers visited the scene and gathered evidence.

At around 8 am on April 30, PC Dennis met Ayres at the Princes Town CID office.

Ayres was held on April 29 and was in custody for having a gun and ammunition.

When the police told him about the robbery investigation, he replied, "Yeah I really rob the schoolboy. Ah take he cell phone and ah sell it."

He also admitted to stealing the women's cell phones and selling them.

He also admitted to robbing the driver of $1,100.

Almost two weeks earlier, on April 10 at around 5.53 pm, he and two women were passengers in a gold Nissan Almera taxi on their way to San Fernando from Princes Town.

On reaching Edward Street, Princes Town, the accused pulled out a gun and announced a robbery.

He robbed one woman of a cellphone worth $1600 as well as $140.

He also robbed the other of a cellphone worth $1,900 and $40.

Ayres ordered the driver to stop, and he got out and ran along the road.

On February 22, at around 3.35 pm, he and a female passenger were in a brown 280 C taxi from Princes Town to Rio Claro.

On reaching near Petite Café junction, Ayres pulled out a gun and announced a robbery.

He robbed her of a cell phone worth $3,000 as well as $100.

He then ordered the driver to stop. He got out of the car and ran off.

PC Dennis of the Princes Town CID laid the robbery charges, and PC Francis Southern Division Task Force (Area East) charged Ayres with having the gun and ammunition.

Legal officer Cpl Reagan Ramanan prosecuted.

Ayres was released from jail, having served a term, last year for similar offences.