Six years jail for beating ‘Cash Pot’ winner

TWO La Romaine men were yesterday sentenced to six years hard labour each after being found guilty of assaulting with intent to rob a man of $2,400, which he had received after winning the NLCB’s “Cash Pot” draw. Damian Romero, 23, and Randy Lawrence were sentenced by Magistrate Sonia Aleong in the San Fernando Second Court. Cpl Joey Samaroo prosecuted the case and said the incident occurred on April 19 in La Romaine. The victim, Henry Mc Eachbrane, 60, of Southern Main Road, La Romaine, was beaten about the body at his home with lengths of iron by Romero and Lawrence who also demanded from him $2,400, money they believed Mc Eachbrane won from “Cash Pot.” A week after the incident, both men were arrested in an exercise carried out by members of the San Fernando CID, headed by Cpl Philip and including PCS Elbourne, Neptune and Pierre.

In court, however, both men denied ever robbing and assaulting Mc Eachrane. The two contended that it was a case of  mistaken identity. They further argued that between the hours of 8 am and 6 pm on that day, Mc Eachbrane consumed a bottle of scotch whisky and other alcoholic beverages and as a result, he was in no position to positively identify them (Romero and Lawrence) as the ones who attacked him. Romero claimed that he, along with his common-law wife Chrystal Balbosar and their young child were at his grandmother’s house in Chaguanas. Lawrence said that on the day of the offence, he went Moruga to attend a friend’s function. However, both accused men’s alibis were thrown out by Aleong who ruled that they were guilty as charged. In passing sentence, Aleong said she had taken all factors into consideration. When she sentenced both men to six years imprisonment, their relatives broke down in tears. Romero’s common-law-wife started crying loudly and ran out of the court with a jersey pulled over her face. When the sentence was passed, both men continued speaking to the magistrate, who informed them that they were free to appeal the sentence.