Robber gets four years for knife-point attack

A man was yesterday sentenced to four years in jail after he was found guilty of robbing another man of a smartphone during a knife-point holdup.

James Allen was convicted for using a gun to rob Lee Lee-Young of a BlackBerry Bold and $440 in an attack on February 21, 2016, at Middle Street.

Allen was found guilty by Magistrate Judy Latchman, who stated that she disbelieved his claim that the first time he saw Lee-Young and the knife used to commit the crime was in court. Lee-Young was wounded when he tried to grab the knife.

The magistrate also stated that she relied on the evidence of Lee-Young, who said he used lights of nearby businesses to aid him in seeing Allen. The court also heard that the stolen items were found in Allen’s possession by the police.

Before sentencing, Allen, 23, requested to compensate Lee-Young but this request was denied. He also requested that the court be lenient and allow him to pay a fine.

However, after taking into consideration the fact that a knife was used to commit the robbery coupled with the need to prevent such crimes, the magistrate sentenced Allen to four years in jail. Magistrate Latchman also ordered that Lee-Young’s phone and cash are returned to him.