Cop sentenced to 191 years in prison

A policeman who led a series of robberies against returning residents was given a 191-year prison sentence in the Gun Court yesterday.

On Wednesday, 39-year-old Constable Horace Roberts was convicted on 19 of the 32 charges brought against him. Roberts, who was formerly attached to the Mandeville Police Station in Manchester, was sentenced to seven years on each count for seven charges of illegal possession of firearm; 12 years each for 11 counts of robbery with aggravation and five years for two counts of illegal possession of ammunition.

Roberts will serve 12 years as the sentences will run concurrently.

His two accomplices, Robert Hurd and Richard Ewart, also got lengthy sentences.

Hurd, a 32-year-old carpenter, was sentenced to 91 years in prison. He will serve seven years each for four counts of illegal possession of firearm, 10 years each for six counts of robbery with aggravation and three years for one count of illegal possession of ammunition.

Ewart, a 32-year-old labourer, was given an 81-year sentence. He will serve seven years each for four counts of illegal possession of firearm, 10 years each on five counts of robbery with aggrava-tion, and three years for illegal possession of ammunition.

The three men were arrested in December 2005 when the car in which they were travelling was stopped by a police party. Two firearms, including Roberts' personal handgun, were seized as well as a stash of Jamaican, American, Canadian and British currencies.