JUSTICE Navindra Singh imposed the history making sentence of 78 years on Tyrone Rowe called ‘Cobra’ yesterday after a mixed jury unanimously found him guilty of the Plaisance pharmacy armed robbery; murder and shooting.
The judge formulated the sentence as follows: murder-60 years; aggravation-10 years; use of guns- 5 years and robbery under arms 3 years all totalling 78 years.

Prosecutor Mrs. Teshana Lake showed that the accused Tyrone Rowe called ‘Cobra’ participated in the armed robbery/murder at a pharmacy  in Plaisance on August 5, 2010 resulting in the death of Troy Collymore called ‘Collie’ and ‘Nelly’ on August 7, 2010.
Eyewitness Police Constable Neil Thornhill testified that a fair-skinned chap had shot Collymore and that ‘Cobra’ whom he had known about three years prior to the shooting was one of the three participants.
The other man was a short stout fellow, he said.
Giving a blow by blow description to the jury about what happened that night on August 5, 2010, the witness said that he was on vacation leave during the month of August, 2010 and about 20.20 hrs he was with a friend at Datt’s Pharmacy, Victor Street, Plaisance, East Coast of Demerara when Collymore and two other men including the owner of the pharmacy and an overseas-based Guyanese joined them.
According to him, shortly afterwards three males including the accused turned up and pulled out guns from under their shirts and the witness was instructed by the gunmen to go to the back of the pharmacy and when he enquired why, the accused told him to shut his mouth and to lie on the ground.
He said the short guy kept asking him about his gun and he told him, “I don’t have any.”
The witness said that while lying on the ground he heard the short man ask one of the men in his party to hand over jewellery and money, which he did.
He added that Collymore who was inside the pharmacy came out and called out a name to the accused.   Collymore was at this stage shot in the forehead by the fair-skinned man. The accused went into the pharmacy and the fair-skinned man said the he was going to kill everyone. The men subsequently left and later a big search was launched for Rowe who later turned himself in with the aid of social activist, Mark Benschop on September 2, 2010 after a bulletin was issued by the police for him.
In answer to defence counsel, Mr. Huckumchand, the eye witness said that while he was sure that the fair-skinned man had a real gun, because he shot and killed Collymore, he could not say whether the guns the other men had were real or toy guns.
The accused who was shackled throughout the trial took the sentence calmly. His lawyer is reported to be taking steps to file an appeal in the matter.