The Tribune

By PAVEL BAILEY

Tribune Staff Reporter

pbailey@tribunemedia.net

A TEENAGER who told The Tribune in 2024 that he was grateful for a police programme's chance to turn his life around was sentenced to ten years in prison yesterday for a string of armed robberies, most of them carjackings.

Luther Hart, 19, pleaded guilty before Justice Jeannine Weech Gomez to five counts of armed robbery and one count of conspiracy to commit armed robbery as part of a plea agreement. A charge of receiving, to which he had pleaded not guilty, was withdrawn.

Hart appeared resigned in the prisoner's dock as the details of the charges were read in court.

He was sentenced to ten years at the Bahamas Department of Correctional Services, with the sentences to run concurrently. The roughly one year, three months and three days he has spent on remand will be taken into account.

In September 2024, Hart, a former CI Gibson student, told The Tribune he was grateful for the opportunity to turn his life around as he completed the Royal Bahamas Police Force's Second Chance programme. The programme aimed to support at-risk students in grades 9 to 12 who struggle with behavioural issues.

Hart said then that he had fallen in with the wrong crowd in his early high school years. He admitted that in his 11th year he made a "terrible decision" that changed his life in an instant.

"I was attacked on my way home," Hart said at the time. "At that time, I was so angry and upset that instead of calling the police, I took matters into my own hands. I ran home, grabbed a Draco AK-47 rifle, came back, and shot off one without guilty conscience."

"That decision was not only wrong," he said, "but it was also something I deeply regret. I regret letting my mother down, letting Ms White down, and letting myself down."

Less than a year after that interview, the robberies began.

At 2am on June 29, 2025, Hart and accomplices robbed Cedric Forbes at gunpoint near the Esso service station on Farrington Road after his motorcycle broke down. They took $50 in cash, his wallet containing his bank card and IDs, and his red iPhone 11 in a black case. The withdrawal receipt related to Mr Forbes' stolen items.

An hour later, Hart and accomplices robbed Laguerre Michellette of his grey Nissan Note at gunpoint at the Village Road Shopping Centre.

At 2.20am on July 7, 2025, they robbed Erica Wilchcombe at gunpoint outside her home on Buttonwood Street. They took her black 2014 Honda Fit and her tan bag, which contained her Commonwealth Bank card, passport, driver's licence and $20 in cash.

At 3am that same night, Hart and others robbed Aswan Poitier of his silver 2016 Kia Sportage at gunpoint as he parked outside his girlfriend's house on Rosewood Street. The conspiracy charge stemmed from this robbery. Mr Poitier had to lift his sleeping girlfriend out of the back of the car. Police recovered the vehicle the next day.

On July 20, 2025, Hart and accomplices robbed Deangelo Ferguson of his silver Nissan Note at gunpoint after he returned home.

Later that day, police found Hart driving a stolen vehicle on Meeting Street. A car chase followed, ending when Hart crashed into a wall on Munnings Road.

In a subsequent police interview, Hart admitted to committing an armed robbery.

In court, Hart had claimed he spent two years on remand. After the court confirmed he was first remanded on July 25, 2025, Hart said he was counting "in jail time".

Timothy Bailey and Karine MacVean prosecuted the case. Walton Bain represented Hart.