WILD RIDE

Two underage children, who were taken on an armed daylight robbery spree in Portland almost five years ago by their mother and her boyfriend, were handed supervision orders on gun and robbery charges by the court following a trial while their mother and her lover escaped punishment.

The robberies, which took place on March 31, 2020, and also involved another man, ended with a loot of $45,000, phone cards, and several cellular phones.

The siblings, a boy and girl who were 13 and 12, respectively, at the time, were forced to go through a trial for robbery with aggravation and illegal possession of a firearm after their mother refused to consent to a plea deal that would have allowed the children to avoid prosecution.

The children, who were allegedly used by their mother to participate in the robberies, were found guilty following a trial in the Portland Circuit Court before Chief Justice Bryan Sykes. Last Monday, they were each given a three-year supervision order for each charge. The supervision order places a responsibility on a probation officer to monitor the child, and the people with whom the child lives while it is in force.

Their co-accused, who was caught with the gun, was sentenced to four and six months for each count, to run concurrently. The mother and her boyfriend were found not guilty.

Both children, who were previously deemed to be in need of care and protection, were at the home of their primary caregiver – their grandmother – when their mother took them under the guise of carrying them out to buy fish.

Facts presented

before the court

According to the facts presented before the court, on the day in question, a 14-year-old complainant was helping her mother at a cookshop in Norwich, Portland, when she saw a car drive up with a group of people, including the two siblings, the driver, another man, and a woman.

The complainant said the two children approached her in the shop, with the girl telling her that the lady in the car wanted to talk to her as she had a sprained foot. The complainant said she loudly asked the woman what she wanted, and she replied, “If you know no house a rent or no bar”. The complainant told her “no” and promised to ask her mother when she returned.

The complainant said the 12-year-old gave her a note with the woman’s name as Sharon, her number and $30,000, indicating that she was willing to pay that amount for rent. At that point, the driver and the other man entered the shop, with the driver asking the complainant whether she sold rum. The other man then ordered the complainant to open a middle door next to the counter and pointed a gun at her. The complainant became fearful and sat down.

The man with the gun then spoke to both children, who went around the counter and took $45,000 in cash, phone cards, and other items before leaving. After the frightening ordeal, the complainant called her mother, who reported the matter to the police.

The police, placed on alert to look out for a grey Nissan with five people aboard, intercepted a car matching that description with the group in Buff Bay. The mother was found with the cash and several phones.

Weeks later, on April 8, the mother and her two children were positively identified by the complainant at an identification parade. The two men were not identified.

During the sentencing, the probation report painted a grim picture of the children’s upbringing. The report revealed that both children had been subjected to abuse and manipulation by their mother, who forced them to participate in criminal activities.

The young girl also revealed in the probation report that both she and her brother were under a fit person order and had been placed with their grandmother, with whom they were living when their mother took them away, breaching the order. A fit person order requires that a child be cared for by someone deemed suitable by the court.

The girl also shared that they had been intercepted while on their way to commit a third robbery.

Slapped in the face

by her mother

According to her, during the first stop at a clothing store, she was slapped in the face by her mother when she refused to assist her brother. As a result, she acted as a “lookout” while her brother went inside the store and stole phones and cash while their mother distracted the owner with conversation.

At the second stop, where they robbed the 14-year-old complainant, the young girl said her mother tried to distract the teen while her brother went in and took the money, which was then handed over to their mother.

When they were intercepted at the third stop, she said her mother told the police that the children were innocent and tried to blame the men. She said her mother also told them to stick to the story.

The children’s grandmother, however, in the social enquiry report, detailed the hurt she had been experiencing as a result of the mother’s conduct.

She questioned, “How could a mother be so derelict in her obligations? Instead of imparting values that would empower them to become responsible individuals, she has raised them to be criminals.”

The grandmother highlighted the struggles she had faced in trying to protect the children and their other siblings from their mother’s victimisation. She further disclosed that the court had given her guardianship after discovering that the children were being forced to beg and swindle.

According to her, the mother’s actions had damaged the children’s future, raising them in an environment of criminality and neglect. She also claimed that the children’s father, who had married their mother, was currently behind bars for taking the blame for his wife and is now struggling with mental issues.

The children’s older sister also shared in the report that she had encountered similar experiences with their mother, which led to them no longer having a relationship.

Kay-Ann Parke, from the Office of the Children’s Advocate, represented the children, while the gunman was represented by attorney-at-law Michael Deans. Assistant DPP Andre Wedderburn appeared for the Crown.

tanesha.mundle@gleanerjm.com