A former member of the Guyana Police Force was on Friday sentenced to five years’ imprisonment after he was found guilty of an armed robbery committed on New Year’s Eve at the Mackenzie Market, Linden.
The sentence was handed down by Senior Magistrate Clive Nurse against Timothy Waldron, 29, of Lot 1832 Unity Place, North Ruimveldt, Georgetown when the trial came to an end on Friday at the Linden Magistrate’s Court.
Initially, Waldron was charged jointly with Shawn Archibald, 38, of the same address for robbery under arms which occurred on December 31, 2017 at about 21:42h at the Mackenzie Market Area, Republic Avenue.
While armed with a gun, the men robbed Trava Campbell, a 31-year-old miner of Lot 193 Dacoma Circle Mackenzie, Linden, of three gold chains valued $600,000.
According to the Police, who were able to secure footage of the robbery from CCTV, Waldron and Archibald were identified by the victim during an identification parade at the Brickdam Police Station in Georgetown on January 13 of this year.
Campbell was reportedly standing on the market pavement among his friends when three men approached him with guns, telling him that he owes them. The men then pulled off the businessman’s gold chains and gun-butted him before escaping through Pine Street Mackenzie, Linden, in a Toyota Allion which bore registration number HC 5801.
The men were subsequently arraigned before Chief Magistrate Ann McLennan on January 19, at the Georgetown Magistrates’ Courts, where they both pleaded not guilty and were remanded to prison.
The case was then transferred to Linden, and during the trial on May 10, before the CCTV footage was tendered as evidence, Archibald changed his plea and was sentenced to four years along with a fine of $75,000.
Meanwhile, in addition to the five-year sentence, Waldron was also fined $100,000 on Friday.