Bandit gets five years for bus theft
MARK Lee Younge, known as Toney, was sentenced to five years’ imprisonment after he confessed to stealing a minibus from Chetram Sirkissoon as he motored along the Number 19 Public Road, East Coast Berbice, on February 3, last. Police prosecutor Corporal Roberto Figueira related the facts in the New Amsterdam Court. He said the virtual complainant was operating minibus BMM 5959, transporting passengers from New Amsterdam to Crabwood Creek, when, in the vicinity of the Number 19 Public Road, the defendant, who was a passenger in the said bus, placed a gun to the driver’s head prior to robbing him of the minibus, valued $2M, property of Inderjeet Doorsooran.
Asked by Magistrate Adela Nagamootoo what he had to say prior to sentencing, Younge replied, “I stole the bus, but not jewels, as the police are claiming.”
Meanwhile, Younge is currently serving two five-year sentences, having confessed earlier to two robbery-under-arms charges which stemmed from the said incident.
On that day, during mid-morning hours, minibus driver Chetram Sirkissoon, called Ravi, age 55 years, of Rose Hall Town, Corentyne, had earlier collected the sum of $260,000 from businessman James Ross of New Amsterdam with the intention of delivering the cash to a resident on the Upper Corentyne. The money was placed in his pants pocket. However, after collecting the money, he drove along the Strand Public Road, where he collected several passengers, including Younge, who subsequently robbed him of the sum during the hold-up on the East Coast Berbice roadway.
Passenger Thakoordyal Ramshair, who is a clerk attached to beverage giant Demerara Distillers Limited, was robbed of a driver’s licence and $14,000 in cash during the ordeal, which lasted for under 15 minutes.