Sint Maarten: eight years’ imprisonment for armed robberies

On Thursday 2 July 2026, in Philipsburg, the Court of First Instance sentenced a man to six years’ imprisonment in connection with a series of armed robberies committed at supermarkets between October 2025 and March 2026. The court found that the defendant had committed six robberies targeting supermarkets owned by Chinese proprietors. Two of these supermarkets were robbed on two separate occasions during the period covered by the case. The court also ordered the enforcement of a two-year suspended prison sentence, relating to a previous conviction for armed robbery, thereby bringing the total prison sentence to eight years. The defendant, who was also charged with unlawful possession of a weapon, was acquitted by the court. According to the judgement, the object used during the robberies was an electric drill that resembled a firearm. Although the judges considered that the use of this drill had led the victims to believe they were being threatened with a firearm, they concluded that the object did not constitute a weapon within the meaning of the applicable criminal provision. In determining the sentence, the court took into account the seriousness of the offences as well as the fear and sense of insecurity experienced by the victims.