McDowall sentenced to 15 years imprisonment for aggravated burglary
On Wednesday, at the High Courtâs Criminal Assizes, 26-year-old Rockies resident Austin McDowall was sentenced to 15 years imprisonment for aggravated burglary.{{more}}
In addition to his 15-year custodial sentence, presiding judge Frederick Bruce-Lyle sentenced McDowall to seven years on a charge of possession of a firearm with intent to injure and a further 15 years for wounding with intent, after a nine-member jury found him guilty on Wednesday.
The sentences will run concurrently.
McDowall, who is currently serving an eight-year sentence on another robbery charge, will commence his 15-year sentence after he is finished serving his eight-year sentence.
According to the facts of the case, on December 15, 2010, at about 1 a.m., at McKies Hill, homeowner Cauldric Dewer was asleep in his bedroom when he heard a noise and saw a shadow in his porch, which he thought was the result of an electrical problem.
Dewer said moments later he heard a scream, but did not pay any attention to it. Sometime after, he said he heard another scream, which sounded like it was coming from the room in which his mother was sleeping.
He said he went to investigate the matter and while walking in the corridor, he was confronted by two men.
Dewer added that he ran back into his bedroom, but the men managed to kick in the door. He said they demanded his US$800 gold chain and US$400 gold bracelet.
After taking the items, Dewer said his attackers demanded money from him. He said he told the men that he did not have any money and that they could go to the Automatic Teller Machine (ATM) to get some.
However, Dewerâs assailants did not agree with his suggestion. He said they asked him again for money and when he told them he did not have, he was shot in his left leg.
His leg, subsequently had to be amputated.
In his testimony, McDowall, who represented himself in the matter, denied being at the home of Dewer at the time of the incident.
At the time of his arrest, McDowall had told police officers that he was in prison at the time the incident took place.
However, checks made with the prison authorities showed that he was released two days prior the incident.
On Wednesday, McDowall had a different story.
He told the court that he was spending time in New Montrose and had been staying there for over a month.
McDowall also called witnesses of his own to corroborate his story, but they told the court that they did not know what he was talking about.
The other man who was charged jointly with McDowall, Jeremy Laborde, had the charges withdrawn from him at the Preliminary Inquiry stages.
Assistant Director of Public Prosecutions Colin John led the Crownâs case.
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