A man who was on the run for 14 years was yesterday sentenced to eight years' imprisonment at hard labour after he was convicted of robbery with aggravation and wounding with intent.

He is James Gooden, 59-year-old farmer, of Sandy Bay, Hanover.

"The long arm of the law finally caught up with him," Donald Bryan, Deputy Director of Public Prosecutions, said when he addressed the jury in the Hanover Circuit Court.

Gooden was accused of robbing and wounding a shopkeeper about 9:30 a.m. on September 13, 1993, while he was on his way to the bank to make a lodgement.

someone he knew

The complainant said that he left his shop at Look Out district, Hanover, to go to the bank. He said while walking, he saw the accused, Gooden, whom he had known previously before, and another man standing beside a motorcycle.

After he had gone a short distance away from the men, he saw them advancing towards him on a motorcycle, which they used to force him against a fence. Gooden, who was the pillion rider, snatched the bag with the money. He said as the motorcycle was about to move off, he held Gooden around his neck and pulled him off the motorcycle. The other man rode off but suddenly returned and began chopping the complainant and Gooden ran away.