A Sophia resident was yesterday sentenced to spend the next three years in prison after a city magistrate found him guilty of five offences, including robbery and escaping from police custody.
Seon Lampkin, who had denied all five of the charges, was found guilty by Magistrate Dylon Bess.
The first charge alleged that on April 16th, at Main Street, Lampkin attempted to rob Urisa Alleyne.
It is also alleged that on the same day and at the same location he robbed Johnny Dos Santos of a $5,000 handbag and $8,000 in items.
Additionally, he was also charged with assaulting officers 23036 Wilson and 22690 Keiron, peace officers acting in the execution of their duties.
The final charge stated that Lampkin, while in police custody for robbery and attempting to commit a felony, escaped from police custody.
At the conclusion of the trial proceedings yesterday, the magistrate told Lampkin that he failed to prove his innocence and sentenced him to three years in prison for the robbery, 18 months for the attempted robbery charge and six months for escaping from lawful custody. Lampkin was fined $20,000 for each of the assault charges with an alternative of a default sentence of six months in prison for each of the charges. The sentences are expected to run concurrently.
According to the prosecution’s case, Lampkin was in police custody for other crimes when he escaped by jumping out of the van while he was being transported from the Brickdam Police Station. When the police attempted to re-arrest the accused, he assaulted them and tried to relieve one of the officers of his firearm, resulting in one of the ranks shooting at him.
However, Lampkin told the court that before he was apprehended by the police, he was caught by public-spirited citizens after the robbery would have occurred. The unemployed man said that he was riding his bicycle when he passed near to a woman who began to yell “thief” which caused persons from Palm Court to run out, and the last thing he remembered was that he sustained a severe beating.
Lampkin added that while in police custody in the back of the van, he was assaulted by the two ranks who were with him. He said that his hands were handcuffed at the time. As the beating from the officers continued, he claimed that he rolled out of the vehicle but could not get anywhere as the vehicle stopped and the officers went towards him. The accused said that he remembered an officer pulling out a firearm and firing a shot, then feeling a burning sensation to his side.
