PHILIPSBURG--A 21-year-old man who had robbed two supermarkets in ten days in July, was sentenced to 36 months, eighteen of which were suspended, on three years’ probation, by a judge in the Court of First Instance on Wednesday.
The Prosecutor’s Office had called for a six-year sentence with the execution of a previous suspended sentence of 55 days, but the judge imposed a lesser sentence due to the delinquent’s relatively young age.
The judge also did not order the execution of the suspended sentence, but instead added an extra year to the probation period.
In her client’s defence, attorney-at-law Sjamira Roseburg said she was shocked by the prosecutor’s demand and pleaded for a much lower sentence.
Defendant Noah Joseph Toussaint did not deny he had robbed supermarkets on July 13 and July 23. He explained his actions by informing the judge that he had lost his job at a local restaurant during the coronavirus pandemic. After that, money was low.
“Times were rough. I got really frustrated,” he told the judge, explaining that he had committed the robberies to be able to provide for his girlfriend and their two-year-old daughter and son of nine months.
According to the prosecutor, the loot of the two robberies which were committed in broad daylight consisted of US $300 in total and a mobile phone.
The suspect said he had used a “fake” gun in the robberies to threaten store personnel and force them to hand over some money. He had also used the weapon to hit a staff member on his head.
