Monrovia – Six notorious armed robbers have each been sentenced to ten years imprisonment after Resident Circuit Court Judge Mameita Jabateh Sirleaf ruled against them for committing the crimes of armed robbery and criminal conspiracy.
By Willie N. Tokpah/0777039231
Defendants Jerome Stephen, Kryah Lee Dopoe, Jackson Geiah, Alieu Sumo, Melvin Kollie, and Qumie Sanoh were sentenced on Wednesday, June 7, 2023, at the Monrovia Central Prison following a bench trial that found them all culpable of the charges brought against them.
Judge Sirleaf, in her ruling, stated that the six defendants were sentenced to ten years imprisonment based on testimonies from witnesses and the presentation of evidence by the state during the trial.
The Government of Liberia brought three separate indictments against the six defendants, charging them with armed robbery, criminal conspiracy, and theft of property.
Five of the defendants pleaded guilty, while one pleaded not guilty. According to the Liberian criminal procedure law, the court sets aside the guilty plea to ensure that due process of law takes its course. The theory is heard before it is condemned.
During the trial, the prosecution proved its case beyond a reasonable doubt against the lone defendant who pleaded not guilty, using testimonies from all the witnesses presented by the prosecution. The defendant’s counsel did not refute the prosecution’s case.
According to the court indictment, one of the defendants, Alfred Doe, is currently at large.
The indictment states that on September 30, 2022, at around 3:30 am in the Plank Field Community, Battery Factory, the defendants were armed with deadly weapons, including single-barrel shotguns, pistols, cutlasses, and knives, with the intent to commit theft.
The indictment further states that the defendants deliberately, willfully, intentionally, and maliciously committed the aforementioned crime against the private prosecutor, Mohammed Saryon, and his wife while they were in bed.
“The defendants aimed guns at the private prosecutor and his wife and made off with 25 bags of 25kg rice valued at US$350.00, one Tecno C-X valued at US$210.00, and one flat-screen TV 32 LRC valued at US$80.00,” the indictment noted.
Regarding defendants Kryah Lee Dopoe and Jackson Geiah, the indictment reveals that on January 18, 2023, at 6:00 am in the Lakpazee Community, Airfield, the defendants, with criminal intent, knowingly and purposefully committed the crime of armed robbery against private prosecutor Estell Gataweh.
The indictment states that while the plaintiff was waiting to leave for work, she noticed the defendants watching her from a porch. They later rushed at her with a knife and other deadly weapons, threatening to injure her. They proceeded to steal her belongings and exercise unauthorized control over her property.
“The defendants stole the plaintiff’s handbag containing US$60.00, one Intel phone valued at US$150.00, cash amounting to US$150.00, two hundred Liberian dollars, and documents containing her voting card,” the indictment noted.
Jerome Stephen, on the other hand, was charged with armed robbery, aggravated assault, and theft of property. He was seen on November 29, 2022, at 9:40 am dragging the private prosecutor under a tree after she got off a bike and took her belongings from her.
Also, Jerome Stephen was charged with armed robbery, aggravated assault, and theft of property when he was seen on November 29, 2022, at 9:40 am dragging the private prosecutor under a tree after she got off a bike and took her belongings from her.
However, in her final ruling, Judge Mameita Jabateh Sirleaf stated that based on the witness testimonies and the proceedings of the case, they have resolved to charge the named defendants with the crimes for which they were indicted.
“Based on the witness testimonies and the evidence provided in this bench trial, this court has resolved to sentence the above defendants to ten years imprisonment at South Beach. This is due to the prosecution proving beyond a reasonable doubt that the defendants purposefully and knowingly committed the crimes of armed robbery and criminal conspiracy,” she concluded.
The six defendants were found guilty as charged within the indictment, and the judge has requested a Pre-Sentencing Report from the Ministry of Justice before proceeding with the sentencing of the six defendants to ten years each in prison.