A St Philip man has been given a suspended sentence after spending over a month on remand at Her Majesty’s Prisons Dodds. The convicted man must also undergo a period of probation.
Nakimo Kenyatta Skeete, previously of Hindsbury Road, St Michael but who now resides in St Philip was found guilty by a unanimous jury verdict back in September on a charge of assaulting Jerome Collins on January 22, 2013 with intent to rob him.
According to the facts disclosed by Acting Senior Crown Counsel Rudolph Burnett the complainant was a supervisor at a business in Hastings, Christ Church. He was going about his duties on the day when the incident occured.
He collected the day’s earnings from a business in Sheraton and was on his way to deposit the money at a location in Dover, Christ Church. As he attempted to enter the establishment around 10 p.m.Skeete who was clad in a black long-sleeved jacket with a hood walked up to him, held on to the bag and said: “give me that money” .
Collins did not comply and a struggle ensued between the two. At the same time an off-duty police man was driving in the area, observed what was happening, stopped his vehicle and kept his lights on the scene with a clear view of the two. Skeete subsequently ran away, causing the cop to give chase, calling for backup from a nearby police station.
Skeete was caught near the Dover playing field. He later directed police to 1st Avenue Dover, Christ Church where he had dumped the jacket he was wearing in a garbage can. At the time of his arrest he gave a written statement to police and outlined what role he played in the matter. Collins was taken to a clinic where he was treated for his injuries.
Burnett told the court today that Skeete had launched a “vicious and unprovoked attack” on Collins who had to seek medical attention. In his sentencing submissions he also pointed to the guilty man’s attempt to conceal his identity by disposing of the jacket in a garbage can and the fact that he had given a statement to police admitting to the crime.
In his favour, the prosecutor said, was the fact that he had cooperated with police, had no prior convictions, accepted that he was wrong and was sorry.
Burnett explained that while Collins stated that he received several blows to his chest and scratches on his hands during the incident and had received treatment, no medication was prescribed and no sick leave granted.
“One may conclude that the injuries Collins suffered were not serious but there was a lasting impression created on his mind arising out of this incident,” the prosecutor said.
He submitted that given those factors “there should be no further incarceration” for Skeete.
“The prosecution believes that the time spent on remand from September 15 to November 1 would have been enough time for him to reflect on his actions on the night,” he added.
However the Crown submitted that the offence could not go unpunished and urged Justice Carlisle Greaves to impose two years in prison, suspended for one year. Burnett also suggested that the convict complete a period of two years’ probation.
Skeete’s attorney-at-law Arthur Holder concurred with the sentence and Justice Greaves who presides over the No. 3 Supreme Court accepted the submission.
“This is a serious matter which I felt you should have served some time in jail hence the remand. I have not formed the view that you are the usual criminal. I think that this was a case where you took the opportunity which you knew would present itself.
“You being a stupid robber didn’t even know how to carry out an operation like that properly. Furthermore, you didn’t even know how to tell lies properly, because every lie you told put you into more trouble, hence you were rightly convicted.
“I have considered the other aspects of your report, I have accepted the submissions of counsel. It has been a long time. You have [led] a fruitful life since then . . . . so I am going to accept the submissions in the circumstance of two years imprisonment suspended for one year with two years’ probation,” the judge said.
