Three years jail for 8 armed robberies, other offences

Travis Payne, a 26-year-old clothes vendor was on Tuesday sentenced to serve three years imprisonment after pleading guilty to eight armed robbery charges, discharging a loaded firearm and one charge of escaping Police custody.

Payne of West Ruimveldt, Georgetown, made his first court appearance on June 24, 2019, and pleaded not guilty to the charges and was remanded to prison.

On Tuesday, Payne appeared before City Magistrate Annette Singh and opted to plead guilty to the 10 charges.

He told the court that he was recently sentenced at the Sparendaam Magistrate’s Court for a similar charge and wishes to throw himself at the mercy of the court.

Magistrate Singh sentenced Payne to three years jail on each of the charges which would amount to 30 years but ordered that the sentences run concurrently; this means that he will only serve three years jail time.

The first charge read that on July 19, 2018, at West Ruimveldt, Payne while being armed with a gun robbed Ram Narine of a $10,000 BLU cell phone along with other items totalling $26,000.

The second charged read that on October 10, 2018, at West Ruimveldt, Payne while being armed with a knife robbed Mohammed Ishmel of a $40,000 cell phone.

The third read that on October 11, 2018, at East Ruimveldt Police Station, Payne while being in custody for armed robbery, escaped.

The fourth read that on November 26, 2018, at North East La Penitence, Payne while being armed with a gun, robbed Collin Edwards of two gold chains worth $202,000 along with a $160,000 cell phone.

The fifth charge state that Payne on January 3, 2019, at Kitty, Georgetown, while being in the company of another and armed with a gun, robbed Randy Simon of $90,000 cash.

It is further read that on January 21, 2019, at Castello Housing Scheme, Parks while being armed with a gun robbed Angela of a handbag and a number of personal hygiene products valued $13,500.

The seventh charge read that on January 29, 2019, at Kitty, Georgetown, Payne while being armed with a gun robbed Michael Agrippa of a cell phone along with other items totalling $522,000.

The eighth charge read that on January 30, 2019, at Kitty, Georgetown, Payne while being armed with a gun, robbed Terrence Park of a cell phone and cash totalling $12,000.

The ninth charge read that on the same day and location, Payne while being armed with a gun, robbed Ronaldo Etwaroo of a $6,000 cell phone and $1,800.

The last charge read that Payne, while being armed with a gun on May 23, 2019, at Tucville, Georgetown, discharged a loaded firearm at Roxcel Neipaul, with intent to maim, disfigure, disable, or to cause her grievous bodily harm.