PHILIPSBURG--Three men suspected of involvement in an armed robbery at Budget Marine on October 19, 2016, had their day in court on Thursday. K.R. (24), C.C. (22) and Y.J. (21) were said to have planned the robbery, according to the Prosecutor in the opening statements during the trial.
The men drove to Budget Marine in Cole Bay in a white Suzuki Vitara and two men stepped out of the car and walked into the store. One threatened the personnel with a firearm or something that looked like a firearm while the other took US $670 and two cash drawers that each contained at least US $110. They also took a blue cash deposit bag.
After the robbery, the three suspects sped off and tried to dispose of the car by setting it on fire, but were unsuccessful. One of the suspects walked to his home nearby, got his own car and returned to pick up the other two suspects before being arrested by police.
The Prosecutor deemed it legally and convincingly proven that the three men had committed the robbery based on video footage of the robbery, statements of the suspects, data on phones confiscated during a search at the house of one of the suspects and DNA recovered from clothes found in the back of the car.
The Prosecutor believed that unconditional prison sentences were appropriate, seeing the seriousness of the crime committed.
For K.R. he requested 36 months in prison. The charges include his involvement with this robbery and illegal possession of a firearm. The Prosecutor took into consideration that K.R. had cooperated in the investigation, but also considered that he is being investigated for his possible involvement in 29 other armed robberies.
For C.C. the Prosecutor requested a prison sentence of 48 months for armed robbery and illegal possession of a firearm.
For Y.J. the Prosecutor requested four years in prison, of which six months suspended and two years’ probation.
The Court of First Instance will give its verdict on March 2.
