25 year-old Keith Williams is spending the first night of a 5-year sentence after he was convicted of robbery and keeping an unlicensed firearm in Magistrate's Court. A Chinese businessman fingered him as one of 2 assailants who robbed him on Boxing Day last year.
According to police, Xin Ye Zheng reported that on December 26, 2011, he was at his store, Good Fortune Bar, which is located on Newtown Barracks. While he was closing up the shop, he was robbed by at gunpoint by 2 men who stole an undisclosed amount of cash, and then escaped.
Quick police response led to Williams being detained along with 32 year-old Brassel Gordon, and when he was searched, the officers found a large amount of cash on him along with a .25 caliber pistol.
As a result, they charged both men with robbery, and Williams was additionally charged with keeping an unlicensed firearm.
Both Zheng and the arresting officer testified against both men for the prosecution in this trial, but 3 weeks ago, Gordon was acquitted after his attorney, Dickey Bradley, made a no-case submission due to lack of evidence.
Well today, the trial came to completion after Williams offered his own defense.
He gave a dock statement that he didn't commit any robbery like the police and the Chinese businessman said he did. He also gave an explanation for the gun saying that he was in a fight with a man who allegedly tried to rob him. He continued that he wrestled a firearm from this alleged assailant, and minutes later, the police search him and found the very same gun.
Senior Magistrate Sharon Frazer then went through the evidence while she came to her decision. She noted that the complainant identified him in court, and that she also believed that the prosecutor proved his case beyond a reasonable doubt.
Senior Magistrate Frazer then sentenced him to spend 5 years in prison for the robbery and 2 years for the unlicensed firearm. The sentences are to run concurrently, which means that he will spend only 5 years.
Email
Print