The Criminal Court "D" in Monrovia has sentenced six notorious armed robbers to ten years imprisonment each following their trial at the Temple of Justice.
Defendants Jerome Stephen, Kryah Lee Dopoe, Jackson Geiah, Alieu Sumo, Melvin Kollie, and Qumie Sanoh will serve their sentence at the Monrovia Central Prison or South Beach.
Presiding Criminal Court "D" Judge Mameita Jabateh Sirleaf handed a ruling Wednesday, 7 June 2023, committing the defendants to ten years imprisonment.
She said their sentencing followed a bench trial. They were convicted based on testimonies from witnesses and evidence produced during the trial.
They were found guilty of armed robbery, and criminal conspiracy.
The indictment said defendants Alieu Sumoe, Melvin Kollie, Qumie Sanoh, and Alfred Doe who is at large, purposely, willfully committed armed robbery against victim Mohammed Saryon and his wife while they were in bed.
The accused were allegedly armed with deadly weapons including single barrel shotgun pistols, cutlasses, and knives on 30 September 2022 around 3:30 a.m. in the Plank Filed Community, Battery Factory with a criminal intent to commit theft.
"The defendants advanced gun at the private prosecutor and his wife and [made] away with 25 of 25kg bag of rice valued at US$350.00," the indictment said.
It said the accused also made away with one Tecno C-X valued at US$210.00 and one flat-screen TV, 32 inches LRC valued at US$80.00.
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For defendants Kryah Lee Dopoe and Jackson Geiah, the indictment disclosed that on 18 January 2023 at 6:00 a.m. in the Lakpazee Community, Airfield, they committed armed robbery against victim Estell Gataweh.
Prosecutors said victim Estell was awaiting a tricycle (kekeh) to go to work when she noticed that the defendants were watching her movement from a porch. The accused allegedly rushed victim Estell later with a knife and other deadly weapons and threatened to injure her. They allegedly took away her property during the robbery.
"The defendants stole the plaintiff's hang bag containing US$60.00, one Intel phone valued US$150.00, cash US$150.00, and two hundred Liberian dollars and documents containing her voting card," the indictment noted.
For his part, Jerome Stephen was charged with armed robbery, aggravated assault, and theft of property. The indictment said he was seen on 29 November 2022 at 9:40 a.m. dragging the victim under a tree after she came down from a bike and took her belongings from her.
Giving her ruling, Judge Sirleaf said that based upon the witness testimonies and proceedings of the case, the court is resolved to hold the defendants for the crimes they were indicted for.
"Based upon the witness' testimonies and the evidence provided in this bench trial, this court has resolved to sentence the above defendants with ten years imprisonment at the South Beach," she ruled.
The judge said the prosecution proved the case beyond all reasonable doubt that the defendants purposely and knowingly committed the crimes of armed robbery and criminal conspiracy.
