Clothes vendor jailed, accomplice remanded for robbing Cubans

A clothes vendor who admitted to robbing two Cuban nationals was on Thursday sentenced to 18 months in prison while his accomplice was remanded.
The duo – Akeem Morris, 27, of Laing Avenue, Georgetown, and Samuel Shepard, 24, a labourer of B Field Sophia, Georgetown – appeared before Chief Magistrate Ann McLennan at the Georgetown Magistrates’ Courts.
The first charge stated that on December 29, 2019 at Georgetown, while being armed with cutlasses, they robbed Jose Sequuea of a phone valued $40,000 and $4000 cash.
The second charge detailed that on the same day and at the same location while being armed with cutlasses, they robbed Diego Bettencourt of a phone valued $25,000.
Morris pleaded guilty to robbing Sequuea, but denied robbing Bettencourt while Shepard pleaded not guilty to both charges.
Police Prosecutor Gordon Mansfield told the court that on the day in question, about 08:00h, both victims were at the Stabroek Market purchasing fruits when Morris and Shepard confronted Sequuea, placed a cutlass to his neck, and relieved him of his phone and cash.
The court further heard that the men attempted to escape, but were intercepted by Police on bicycle patrol.
The two suspects were positively identified during an identification parade.
The Magistrate sentenced Morris to 18 months behind bars while Shepard was remanded and ordered to reappear in court on January 8, 2020.