Six dollar robbery earns six years in prison
(CNS): Although Durney Loxley Ebanks may have only demanded $6 when he threatened a grown man and young child with a machete, the robbery earned him six years at Northward Prison. Sentencing the man that even his own defence attorney had called “something of a menace to society” as a result of his long list of previous convictions, Chief Justice Anthony Smellie observed Ebanks’ mental health problems were complicated by his drive to self-medicate with illegal drugs and alcohol. The judge noted that Ebanks could not be trusted to be in society unsupervised as he did not take his prescribed medication and was a danger to others.
Justice Smellie lamented the lack of a suitable mental health care facility but noted that at least during his incarceration within the prison system he would be under the supervision of mental health practitioners who could ensure his condition was controlled through the proper medication.
Ebanks, who has already been in custody for some time awaiting his trial and subsequent sentencing, still demonstrated obvious mental health problems. He asked if he could speak and told the court that he was sorry but that he had been hurt all of his life since he was eleven years old.
“I know I believe in God and I do what God wants me to do … This life here sucks, I believe in another life,” Ebanks said. “I did those robberies but I never shed blood. It’s not us that do these things, it’s God.”
The chief justice pointed out, however, that God requires people to take responsibility for their actions and Ebanks had up until his sentencing not shown any remorse for his crime and had throughout the trail maintained his innocence. The judge noted that while Ebanks had only demanded six dollars with which to buy cocaine, having gone to the house of his cousin armed with a machete, this had caused great fear in the victim who was at home with his young child.
Ebanks had a history of violent behaviour, Justice Smellie noted, and stated that a custodial sentence was the only option as he said Ebanks was a threat to the community, and handed down the six year sentence.
Category: Local News
There should be a mental health facility for these types, an "Insane Asylum" if you will. Northward needs a court order, The "Insane Asylum" needs a doctors order. Solution or problem? Your Thoughts?
This may sound harsh but mental illness or not, a sentence of only 6 years for armed robbery of even 1 cent seems to excessively lenient to me, particularly when a child was threatened with a weapon. Whatever his mental problem it cannot have been that severe he was found fit to stand trial for his crime. I would very much like our politicians to legislate a minimum mandatory prison term of 20 years for anyone found guilty of armed robbery or any form of robbery with violence or involving a child. When I write 20 years I mean 20 years before any possibility of parole.
Yo! I was feeling sorry at first for this dude but when I saw that he threaten a child I have no compassion for him now.
I know money is tight, but shouldn’t we be treating our [mental patients], not incarcerating them? And six years, for a measly 6 dollars? You can kill someone and get less than that!
Perhaps Dr. Shetty could put a few beds aside for a mental health wing.
Perhaps you could volunteer your time, money, and faith to give him what you think he deserves. You know where he will be. Waiting for you.
Again the punishment may sound harsh for stealing 6 bucks but the fact he used a potentially lethal weapon to threaten a child is the reason why 6 years is approriate as a minimum.
It’s unfortunate that there isn’t an aduquate mental healthcare facility but the number one here is public safety over one mans freedom. Thousands of people are better off as it is one less psycho on the streets. Harsh but true.
Mental or not, wake up, he used a weapon, if it was you or your child you would want him off the streets too, maybe its time that the government paid attention to these mentally challenged people and build a facility that will accomadate them as they are also troublesome to the family with their threats.
Why don’t you take him then? I am sure you’ll get along just fine!