Youth found guilty of BT robbery

Justice Algernon Smith found a young
man guilty of the robbery that occurred at Mostyn’s Service Station in Bodden
Town last year. 

The teen, identified at sentencing Friday as Elmer Wright, received a 12-year sentence on the robbery and a consecutive four-year sentence for discharging a firearm.

The judge delivered  his verdicts
on Thursday afternoon, dealing with  six separate charges relating to a
series of incidents that occurred on the night of 10 June 2010. The sentence was pronounced Friday afternoon.

Wright was 16 years eight months
old at the time; he is now 18.   

The judge found that in the course of
the robbery, which netted around $1,000, the accused had in his possession a
Remington 12-gauge shotgun. 

After he and his companions fled from
the scene in a white car, police officers pursued them and ended up in an area
of Northward Road. 

There, the judge found,  the
accused pointed the shotgun in the direction of the police vehicle and fired.
He was charged with the attempted murder of the officers.  

The evidence was that the shooter did
not hold the gun in  a stance that would ensure accuracy and no bullet hit
the police vehicle although it was not moving. Justice Smith said there was
reasonable doubt as to the accused ‘s intent and found him not guilty of
attempted murder but guilty of unlawful use of a firearm. 

He also found him guilty of possession
of ammunition without a licence and possession of the shotgun without a
licence.  There were two charges relating to possession of the shotgun,
one at the time of the robbery, and one at the time the accused was captured a
short time and distance away from the Northward Road incident. The judge did
not return a verdict on one of them. 

Director of Public Prosecutions Cheryll
Richards and Defence Attorney Ben Tonner spoke on sentencing precedents and
other factors they suggested the judge might consider.