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The Editor Speaks: 37 years for diamond store robbers and they deserved more

Colin Wilson2webJonathan Ramoon (36), James McLean (23) and Christopher Myles (32) received a combined total of 37 years for their part in last year’s New Year’s Day Diamonds International robbery and in my opinion they deserved more.

Only one of the robbers, McLean, had no previous convictions of violence or robbery but he smashed the glass in the cabinets with a hammer and he also had an unlicensed firearm as did Ramoon. Myles was the getaway driver and was not convicted of having an unlicensed firearm to which he had pleaded ‘Not Guilty’ to.

The sentences handed down were:

Jonathan Ramoon – 19 years (robbery), 14 years (possession of unlicensed firearm) – to run concurrently and reduced to 15 and 12 years for guilty pleas.

James McLean – 16 years (robbery), 9 years (possession of unlicensed firearm) – to run concurrently and reduced to 12 and 7 years for guilty pleas.

Christopher Myles – 15 years and reduced to 12 years for guilty plea.

All three men had expressed their remorse at taking part in the robbery and by pleading guilty had hoped they would have got the maximum 331/3% reduction allowed under the law.

The Judge, Charles Quin, did not buy into that.

All three were caught red-handed with one of the witnesses being the Commissioner of Police, David Baines, who had taken an active part by quickly crashing his own vehicle into the robbers’ getaway car. When the robbers got out of their car, he continued after them in his car running over Ramoon.

Why some of our media houses have made sympathetic comments towards the ‘significant serious injuries’ Ramoon suffered and played it up has completely baffled me. I wouldn’t have paid it 1 ounce. Baines ran Ramoon over – ‘completely’. Oh dear.

This lout had a gun, had terrorized customers, including a pregnant woman and I would have hoped that fact would have been played up to at least the same volume as Ramoon being completely run over. I suppose mental suffering is not as bad as physical suffering in some reporters’ minds. Physical injuries recover considerably quicker than mental suffering that often never heals!

The poor thug being brought to the court in a wheelchair, feet bandaged up and physically suffering from the evil police officer who had tried to apprehend him.

Give us all a break from that rubbish.

Being a Christian I have to remember that God loves us all but He does not approve of rotten, despicable, loathsome actions from His loved ones who behave like sewer rats, wear masks, brandish weapons at defenseless humans trying to act decently and terrorise them into submission.

I won’t print my initial reaction where I had hoped was the part of the scumbag’s body the Commissioner’s car had run over!!

This piece of vermin had also threatened the security guard at the store and held him down at gunpoint for almost 1½ minutes and he suffered injuries when he was dragged across the shop floor strewn with broken glass.

Then there is the fourth robber – the one who had scooped up the jewelry. He is still at large.

The great remorse the other three had for their criminal actions did not extend to ratting on the rat.

So the judge gave them 20% discount. He was very kind.

The damage these pieces of garbage have done to our country’s image will be a blot on our landscape for years. The robbery took place on the waterfront right by the cruise ship terminal with hundreds of tourists watching.

Justice Quin praised the police commissioner’s actions, a security officer and two members of the public, who also gave chase and wrestled with the other robbers. They all suffered injuries and showed much bravery.

Although $800,000 of the stolen jewelry was recovered, the fourth man had made off with three rings. I expect he is keeping them safe to hand over to his captured partners when they eventually get out of jail.

No doubt the three thieves will appeal their 37 years sentencing and the Appeals Court, who have been very generous recently with reducing sentences, will look at their actions with sympathy and favour.

I am not sorry to repeat I wish they had been given more time in jail.

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