Prison bird cries in court

A six-time convict wept in court on Tuesday after being accused of robbing a woman at knifepoint. The habitual offender, Osaka Gillespie, who returned from prison in April, 2021 after serving a 30-month prison term, said that he has been wrongly accused of the crime.

Gillespie has been convicted for robbery with aggravation on the six occasions that he has been to prison. On Tuesday, the teary-eyed man told Senior Parish Judge Lori-Ann Cole-Montague that he made a promise to the last judge who sentenced him to prison that he would not be brought before the courts again. He suggested that his failure to keep that promise has nothing to do with him breaking the law.

"Central Police Station is right there, Your Honour, and every single thing that took place, that name robbery, or someone grab a phone or a chain, [the] first person to come to Central mind is Osaka Gillespie. I am 34 years old and Central Police a tek set pon me from me a 22. My son is 15 and my daughter is four, I don't get no time to spend with my daughter from 2019 till now. I'm tired of running remand. I promise that judge that I will go home and never do robbery again," Gillespie told the court.

armed with a knife

The prosecution has alleged that on March 3, the complainant disembarked a Jamaica Urban Transit Company bus on Harbour Street in downtown Kingston with an empty market bag under her left arm and $7,000 folded in the front pocket of her jeans pants. She was headed to Coronation Market, when upon approaching the vicinity of Eustace Lee business place, she heard light footsteps behind her. The complainant indicated that she turned around to enquire the sounds she heard, when she saw a man, about half an arm's length away from her, armed with a knife.

It is alleged the man, Gillespie, said to her "Don't move man, jus gimme yuh phone an' yuh money."

In fear of her life, the complainant told the bandit that she did not have her phone and showed him the empty market bag as proof.

He repeated the commend: "Gimme di money!"

The complainant took the $7,000 from her pocket and handed it to Gillespie.

A few minutes later, she attended City Centre Police Station to file a report of the incident. While she provided the description of the robber, the police escorted Gillespie into the building.

She then indicated to the police that "Officer, that's the man that robbed me and he is still dressed in the same clothes."

The accused was searched and $7,000 was found in his pocket. When he was informed of the allegations against him and cautioned, Gillespie reportedly said "Mi nuh rob nobody, a $10,000 me did have an mi give me girl $4,000."

Gillespie was made the subject of a fingerprint order and was remanded in custody until April 11 when both matters are to be mentioned. At that time, a bail application is to be heard.