On Sunday, Shain Ramon Carl Mayers robbed two visiting university students. By Wednesday, he was behind bars at HMP Dodds beginning a three-year sentence.
Magistrate Graveney Bannister handed Mayers, of Belgrave Land, 1st Avenue Grazettes, St Michael three years on each robbery count but they will run concurrently.
Magistrate Bannister chastised Mayers for robbing anyone – Barbadian or tourist – and stressed that “when you rob a visitor, it goes far and wide” and affects “the lifeblood of
the country”.
The unemployed 26-year-old youth pleaded guilty to the charges when he appeared in the District ‘A’ Traffic Court yesterday. He told the court that he has an alcohol and a minor drug problem and wanted help.
Mayers also confessed to drinking alcohol just prior to robbing the two women.
According to the facts which Station Sergeant Peter Barrow outlined, Ninna Lannsjo, from Stockholm, Sweden and Christina Miller, of South Carolina, USA are both completing a
one-semester course at the University of the West Indies, Cave Hill Campus.
On Sunday, the two students went to Paradise Beach. While there, a man wearing a long black pants, black long-sleeve hoodie and a black cap passed them twice.
On the third occasion, he walked up to Miller, stood over her and extended his right hand. She got up, took up her bag and tried to run towards the water but Mayers held on to the bottom of the complainant’s swimsuit and pulled her back. They struggled over her bag.
When Lannsjo realized what was happening to her friend, she came to where they were and advised Miller to let the bag go. She did so. The robber kept the bag and then went over to Lannsjo and took hers as well, before running into the nearby abandoned Four Seasons Resort.
The women reported the matter to police and their description was so accurate that Mayers was soon spotted by a policeman, who pursued him. However, he escaped into the Pile Bay area.
While lawmen were carrying out an extensive search there, they received further information that the culprit was hiding in the backyard of an abandoned house.
The police soon came upon Mayers and arrested him. He had some of the stolen property on him at the time. He later took the officers back to the old Four Seasons property for the remainder of the stash.
The thief had US$985 worth of items from Lannsjo’s bag, including an IPhone 6, while the value of the items in Miller’s bag was US$1 350.