Homeless Youth Sentenced to 18-Months for Robbery

January 6 2025- Ezekiel Kevin Grant, a 20-year-old homeless man, has been sentenced to 18 months’ imprisonment for an armed robbery committed in November last.

Grant, who initially identified himself to the police as Kevin Charles, appeared before Acting Chief
Magistrate Faith Mc Gusty on December 6, 2024, at the Georgetown Magistrates’ Courts.

He pleaded guilty to a charge for the offence of robbery under-arms.

On November 30, 2024, at Water Street, Georgetown, he robbed Davindra Singh of a Samsung
phone valued at $45,000 and a wallet containing $10,000 in cash, totalling $57,000 in stolen
property.

During his guilty plea, Grant, unrepresented by legal counsel, admitted that he was intoxicated at
the time of the robbery.

The court heard that on the day of the incident, Grant, armed with a knife and accompanied by an
accomplice, intercepted Singh on Water Street in Georgetown.

Initially, Grant claimed he acted alone but later implicated Dominique Eastman, a resident of “B”
Field, Sophia, Georgetown. He alleged that Eastman was responsible for taking the wallet while he
held the victim.

Although the stolen items were eventually returned to Singh, Grant admitted to spending the cash.
However, he disputed the victim’s account, claiming that the wallet contained $6,000 rather than
$10,000.

A probation report presented to the court on January 3, 2025, painted a grim picture of Grant’s
upbringing. Growing up in Lamaha Springs, Georgetown, he lacked a meaningful relationship with his
father, while his mother battled alcoholism.

Financial difficulties forced him to drop out of school in the second form. Left to fend for himself,
Grant lived in an abandoned house in Sophia, Greater Georgetown, before moving in with a friend.

He soon fell into a cycle of substance abuse, including alcohol and marijuana, and resorted to petty
crimes to survive. Despite teaching himself construction work, his reputation for theft alienated him
from his family and community. Neighbours described him as hostile and prone to stealing.

This was not Grant’s first encounter with the law.

In February 2024, he and Eastman were charged with another robbery on Water Street. In that case,
prosecutors alleged that the men robbed a victim of an iPhone 12 valued at $120,000 and $20,000 in
cash.

Grant and Eastman denied the charges, but the prosecutor opposed bail, citing Grant’s transient
lifestyle as a flight risk. Although both were initially remanded, they were eventually granted bail.

During sentencing on Friday, Magistrate Mc Gusty recognised the difficulties Grant had endured but
underscored the necessity for him to take responsibility for his actions.

She acknowledged his challenging circumstances but emphasised that he had opportunities to earn
an honest living rather than resorting to crime.

Citing the gravity and prevalence of the offence and his history of repeated violations, the
magistrate highlighted the need for decisive action—the imposition of a custodial sentence.

She urged Grant to participate in rehabilitation programmes offered by the Guyana Prison Service,
presenting them as a pathway to reform and a chance to build a more constructive future.

The magistrate expressed hope that the sentence would not only deter Grant from reoffending but
also serve as a broader warning to others who might consider engaging in similar unlawful acts.