Esrette Henville convicted of robbery

By Terresa McCall
Rerter-SKNVibes.com

Esrette Henville convicted of Robbery

Esrette Henville was tried yesterday after he was accused of robbing Khali Pitt, a Carifesta Village resident, of a RAZR phone valued at EC$500 on October 12, 2007.

Pitt, the first witness, explained to the court that approximately 12:40 on that afternoon, he was walking along George Street on his way back to work when he was approached by Henville’s brother, Travis.

“A guy approached me from the back pulling my shirt. He asked me what my name is and what I am doing on his turf. I turned around and told him to let go of my shirt. 

The person was tall and black. I know who the person was…Travis Henville. He pulled my shirt again…two other guys came from the other side of the road with two long knives. They jammed me again an old house, started hitting me [and] putting their hands in my pockets. They took what I had in my pockets… a RAZR phone…One of the guys with the knife hit me in the forehead with it. Travis was in front of me. One of them looked like Travis but was shorter; it was Esrette, the brother of Travis.”   ~~Adz:Right~~

Pitt further testified that after he was hit on his forehead with the knife, “I got upset and started wrangling with them. I fell to the ground and on my way back up I grabbed the hammer from the one who had the hammer. I was wrangling with him for it.”

During the onslaught, Pitt explained, he got the hammer from his attacker and defended himself.

“I finally got the hammer from him. He started to run and fell in the drain. He got back up and I lash him in his back with the hammer. He started to run again and I started to run after him but I felt weak in the legs.”

The victim told the court that he continued walking to work with the hammer in his hand and was assisted by a co-worker. The Emergency Medical Services was called and Pitt was taken to the Joseph N. France General Hospital where he received stitches for two stab wounds (one to each leg) he sustained during the fracas.

On the day of the Preliminary Inquiry (PI), Pitt explained that he was approached by Esrette who offered an out-of-court settlement, one which Pitt said he refused.

Criminal Investigations Department officer Stewart Henry, the third witness in the case, told the court that after conducting the necessary investigations he arrested Esrette, at which point the accused said, “Officer, I can’t afford for my younger brother to take the rap because I just served three months for wounding and it’s rough over there.”

The officer further stated that he also arrested Travis who told him, “Me ain’t know nothing about noh phone and my brother is not in it. I see him [Pitt], I pulled his shirt and that is when I stabbed him in his legs.”

Esrette, who opted to take the stand, told the court that he was involved in the altercation but is guilty of nothing more than “defending my brother”.

“I was coming from Judith on George Street where I saw my younger brother and Khali in a fight. I jumped in on behalf of my brother…We did not have knives…I don’t know how he got stabbed. I never saw him take the hammer from my brother. My brother pleaded guilty to robbery. I’m sorry that Mr. Pitt got robbed. If I can compensate him in any way, I will.”

When asked for reason(s) for him asking the virtual complainant for an out-of-court settlement, Esrette told the court it was because “I was looking out for my brother”.

The jury impanelled to try the case unanimously convicted Esrette of the robbery charge. He, however, will not be sentenced until October 6, 2008; a date which coincides with his brother’s (Travis) sentencing.

The Henville brothers were jointly charged with the offence and while Travis pleaded guilty Esrette claimed that he was innocent.