At Berbice Assizes 
JUSTICE Diana Insanally, on Tuesday deferred, until May 4, sentence on robbery under arms convict Orin Burnett, pending  a probation report on his background.

Burnett had first appeared at the Berbice Assizes last week when the judge advised him to retain counsel.

However, on his reappearance, he pleaded guilty to the October 20, 2007 offence, which State Prosecutor Ganesh Hira said was committed about 02:00 h at the home of Ramjeet Singh.

According to the prosecutor, the victim was awakened by a noise in a room of his house.

Singh put on lights in the hall and proceeded into the bedroom from where the sound came and, on opening the door, he saw Burnett, who held on to his neck and punched him until he fell to the floor.

Singh said the robber helped him up after the fall and he observed that the intruder was armed with a gun.

The Prosecutor said Burnett forced Singh to take him to his bedroom which he ransacked a wardrobe and removed $150,000, four wrist watches valued $8,000.

Hira said $50,000 of the money had belonged to Corriverton Lions Club.

He said, after robbing Singh, Burnett demanded to be and was let out through the back door.

Pleading in mitigation for the convict, Defence Counsel  Charrandas Persaud revealed that Burnett had, only a month before committing the crime, finished serving an eight months prison sentence for possession of cannabis (marijuana).

The lawyer said Burnett is the victim of a lacking society, having grown up in the care of his single parent mother, hardly knowing his father.

Having done a first wrong, he was presented with no form of rehabilitation as none is offered in jail, Persaud said, adding that, if there was some sort of guidance, certainly Burnett would not have had to be arrested again, a month after he served time.

Persaud also asked the judge to take into consideration that Burnett spent 20 months in prison awaiting trial as he was denied bail.