Barrackpore man gets five-year sentence for bar robbery

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A Barrackpore man has been sentenced to five years imprisonment for robbing a man at a bar in 2005.

Phil Joseph received the sentence from Justice Gail Gonzales yesterday, after he agreed to plead guilty to robbery with violence.

However, Joseph was not sent to prison as Justice Gonzales ruled that he had already served a little over his eventual sentence when he was on remand before he could access bail and when his bail was briefly revoked on several occasions due to him missing court appearances.

According to the evidence in the case, the robbery took place at Golden Crown Recreation Club at Cipero Road in Borde Narve Village on May 7, 2005.

One of the victims, Satesh Ramsaroop, was liming with his cousins and friends outside the bar when they were approached by three armed men who ordered them to go inside.

The armed men forced them and the other patrons at the bar to sit on the floor before beating them with a cutlass and robbing them of their cash and jewellery.

A report was made to the police and a group of officers stopped a vehicle Joseph and another man were in. A ski mask and some of the stolen items were found.

The third suspect was held several days later and all three reportedly confessed to their roles in the robbery.

Joseph was eventually pointed out by Ramsaroop in an identification parade and all three men were charged.

The trio’s cases were separated and Joseph agreed to plead guilty after requesting a maximum sentence indication, in which Justice Gonzales revealed the possible sentence he would face if he avoided a trial.