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Christmas day robbery: Sandys man sent to jail

in the jailing of a Sandys man for seven years.Paul Ronald Williams, 25, confronted Dawn O'Donohue of Southampton at Between the Walls in Pembroke at about 6.15 p.m. and demanded cash, the Supreme Court was told on Thursday.

in the jailing of a Sandys man for seven years.

Paul Ronald Williams, 25, confronted Dawn O'Donohue of Southampton at Between the Walls in Pembroke at about 6.15 p.m. and demanded cash, the Supreme Court was told on Thursday.

When the 28-year-old woman said she had no money, Williams smashed a metal pipe against the left side of her face and head, breaking her jaw in two places and forcing part of her jaw into her ear canal, which was severed.

He then grabbed her purse, which contained $50, and a bag of Christmas presents she was carrying, and fled.

O'Donohue, who was left on the road bleeding, spent ten days in hospital.

Williams pleaded guilty to robbery using a weapon and violence.

When he was arrested and confessed to Police two days later, Williams said he needed money because "he had spent his wages on coke''. He had drunk rum and smoked crack cocaine on the day of the crime, the court was told.

Crown counsel Mr. Brian Calhoun called for a sentence that would deter others.

"It is unconscionable ... that a female cannot walk the streets of Bermuda without fearing this kind of violence to her person,'' Mr. Calhoun told the court. "It's just totally unacceptable in any place, and especially in Bermuda.'' Mr. Timothy Marshall, Williams' lawyer, asked the Hon. Mr. Justice Ward to consider the confession and guilty plea as mitigating factors.

Williams even assisted the investigation by re-enacting the crime at the scene, at which time some of the stolen articles were recovered, Mr. Marshall said.

Williams told Police he did not intend to strike O'Donohue with the pipe, only intimidate her, he added.

"It's a good thing that he didn't intend to hit her, because if he had intended, she would have been dead,'' Mr. Justice Ward said.

"This was a brutal, unprovoked attack on a defenceless woman who was about her lawful business on a public road.'' When the Crown accepted the guilty plea to robbery with a weapon and violence, it did not proceed with charges of inflicting grievous bodily harm with intent to disable and possession of an offensive weapon because they were included in the first count, Mr. Calhoun said. While simple robbery carries a maximum ten-year sentence, the aggravated robbery can bring a term of up to 14 years.

Mr. Justice Ward said Williams' time in custody since his arrest should be deducted from his sentence. While in prison, Williams should receive treatment for drug addiction, he added.

Williams, an unemployed farm labourer, has a criminal record dating back to 1987, with convictions for drugs, obstructing Police, theft, and breaking and entering, among others.

Before sentencing, Williams told the court: "I am truly sorry for what happened to the lady ... I'm not a bad person.

"This was totally out of character.''