Monrovia – The 13the Judicial Circuit Court in Kakata, Margibi County has sentence a man found guilty of armed robbery to 10-year imprisonment.
Report by Kennedy L. Yangian – [email protected]
Two other defendants alleged to have conspired with the armed robber were also given five years each by the court in a ruling delivered Tuesday, June 14, 2017 by presiding Judge YarmieGbeisay.
Court records in the possession of FrontPageAfrica indicated that defendants Samuel Davies, Alex Yarkpawolo, Abraham Doe and Dennis Doe were arrested by officers of the Liberia National Police following an armed robbery attack on the Ecobank branch in Kakata on July 24, 2016.
One of the defendants, Dennis Doe the court record says died in prison during a pre-trial detention process, leaving the three others to go on trial.
On May 31st 2017 the trial of the three men started at the 13th Judicial Court where the three defendants pleaded guilty when the indictment was read to them.
Despite the defendants guilty plea the court went ahead and set the guilty verdict and proceeded with the trial as required by law.
The court says that witnesses provided by the prosecution further testified to all of the documentary evidence and physical or demonstrative evidence pieces of evidence which included photos of the crime scene, photos of the shot gun used, oxygen tank and photos of defendants, voluntary statements, Police charge sheet and investigative report and same were duly admitted into evidence.
However, the court stated further that the defendants chose not to take the witness stand to refute or rebut the allegation testimony against them.
“From the analysis of the evidence before us, the state established same is enough prima facie evidence which in law sufficient to establish the fact when not rebutted,” said the court.
The court also says that according to the facts established during the trial and the applicable law, the court was left with no alternative but to affirm the unanimous verdict.
The jury indicating that in spite of the strong allegation, the defendants consciously, with consultation of their legal counsel, decided not to take the witness stand on their own behalf in support of their guilty plea.
“Wherefore and in view of the fore going facts the three defendants, Samuel Davis, Alex Yarkpawolo, Abraham Doe and Dennis Doe are hereby adjudged guilty of the criminal conspiracy and armed robbery.
Another part of the ruling reads: co-defendant Samuel Davis being that he is a recidivist, is hereby adjudged guilty and sentenced to an imprisonment for the period of 10 years effective of as Tuesday, June 14, 2017, while co-defendants Alex Yarkpawolo and Abraham Doe are adjudged guilty and sentenced to five years each effective of Tuesday, June 14, 2017.
The court then orders the clerk to have the defendants committed to prison to serve their respective sentences though the defendants have the right to take an appeal to the Supreme Court.