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Published On: Thu, Nov 23rd, 2017

Serial robber-burglar sentenced to 17 years

PHILIPSBURG – The Common Court of Justice sentenced Felix Floyd Crawford on Thursday to 17 years of imprisonment, three years below the sentence the Court in First Instance handed down in December of last year. Crawford is among the Pointe Blanche inmates that were transferred to the prison in Curacao after Hurricane Irma. He heard his sentence via a video-link to the courthouse.

When Crawford appeared in court in Philipsburg several times last year it became clear that the prosecutor’s office considers him a dangerous man. Each time heavily armed officers whose faces were covered with balaclavas brought him shackled and handcuffed into the courthouse. But yesterday he was sitting seemingly relaxed in front of a camera in Willemstad, listening to the pronouncement of his verdict.

Crawford was charged with nine home burglaries, four armed robberies, one count of attempted manslaughter on a police officer and firearm and ammunition possession.

The 39-year old defendant  committed the burglaries between December 31 2010, and October 21, 2015; the targeted homes are located on Okra Drive, Reward Road, Pumpkin Road, Nevis Drive, Okra Road, Date Mussel Road, Blue Bell Drive and Touch Me Not Road.

The burglary at Date Mussel Road, committed on October 17, 2011, stands out, because this was the house of former Chief Commissioner Peter de Witte. Crawford stole the chief commissioner’s service weapon, a Walther P5, ammunition, jewelry and $13,000 in cash.

The armed robberies took place in 2011 and 2015 at the Touch Me Not Road, the Port of Spain Drive, the Celsius Street, the Calabas Drive and the Poinsetta Road. On September 24, 2015, C. robbed two homes on the Poinsetta Road, but there he ran into a police officer. Making his escape, Craawford fired shots in the direction of the policeman, and that set him up for an attempted manslaughter charge.

The appeals court acquitted Crawford of burglaries in homes at the Okra Drive and the Celcius Street. It also acquitted the defendant of manslaughter on police officer Roumou on September 24, 2015.

While Crawford fired shots in the direction of Roumou, the court ruled that it cannot establish that his intention was to kill the police officer.

The court found Crawford guilty of eight burglaries, threatening a minor with a firearm, firearm and ammunition possession and four armed home robberies. During one of these robberies a senior citizen was wounded to such an extent that he had to be hospitalized.

Psychologists established that Crawford is retarded and not fully responsible for his actions.

Considering all circumstances and the acquittal of several charges, the court imposed a slightly lower prison sentence of 17 years. He also has to pay one of his victims close to 5,600 guilders.