Man who disarmed, shot policeman at hospital gets 22 years in prison

Tanesha Mundle, Staff Reporter

The prisoner who escaped custody in March after disarming and shooting a policeman at the National Chest Hospital in St Andrew has been sentenced to serve 22 years in prison.

Ricardo Richards, 30, was sentenced by Justice Sonya Wint-Blair in the Home Circuit to 22 years for wounding with intent and 13 years and four months each for the offences of illegal possession of firearm and robbery with aggravation.

The sentences are to run at the same time, meaning he will serve 22 years.

The St Andrew mechanic had pleaded guilty on April 22.

In handing down the sentence, Wint-Blair awarded the father of two a 10 per cent discount for his early plea, noting that the evidence against him was overwhelming.

He was also given a four-month reduction as well as a one-year deduction for the mitigating factors on each count.

The judge, in considering the sentence, took into account mitigating factors such as the offender's remorse and early guilty plea and the fact that he was gainfully employed before his arrest.

However, the aggravating factors against him included the fact that he planned the attack, that the policeman was shot while on duty, that he stole his weapon, which is still at large, and that lied about his identity when he was accosted.

"Anyone prepared to injure a policeman in this way must prepare for a very long time in custody," Wint-Blair said.

Richards was taken to hospital on March 12 by three cops to undergo a medical procedure.

His handcuffs were then unlocked for the procedure to be done.

On completion, before the cops could put back on the handcuffs, Richards threw a liquid into the eyes of one of the police personnel.

A tussle ensued and he took the gun of one of the cops, shooting him in his stomach before fleeing with the firearm.

He was recaptured a week later at a guesthouse in St Andrew and gave the police a wrong name.

"Mi boss, dem thing deh rehearse and execute, but me never wah kill the policeman,” he told police investigators while giving a caution statement.

The court today heard that the policeman's spine was fractured and that his triple was also injured.

Before the incident, Richards had been in police custody awaiting trial for murder.

Attorney-at-law Earnest Davis represented Richards.

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