
                         Roanoke Times
                 Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.

DATE: TUESDAY, December 20, 1994                   TAG: 9412210059
SECTION: VIRGINIA                    PAGE: C-3   EDITION: METRO 
SOURCE: MATT CHITTUM STAFF WRITER
DATELINE:                                 LENGTH: Short

`POLITE' BANDIT'S TRIAL DELAYED

Monday's trial of the Salem man accused of being the polite bandit who robbed a Roanoke pizza delivery driver has been continued because the prosecutor had a scheduling conflict. The delay will allow the state to evaluate the man in preparation for an insanity defense.

Phillip W. Sirrine's attorney, Gary Lumsden, entered a notice of insanity defense into court records early this month.

He requested a psychiatric evaluation for his client on Sept. 30. He said the crimes with which Sirrine is accused are radically different from any other behavior in his past.

"When someone's heading north their whole life and they suddenly go due east, you have to figure they hit a bump along the way," Lumsden said.

Sirrine, 21, is charged in Roanoke with carjacking, robbery, abducting Crista Birmingham for monetary benefit and using a firearm in each of the crimes.

Police say Sirrine ordered a pizza July 27 from Papa John's Pizza on Brambleton Avenue, and then forced Birmingham, the delivery driver, at gunpoint to drive him to Towers Mall.

Sirrine also is charged with robberies in Staunton and Albemarle County.

Sirrine's trial in Staunton has been continued until after trials in Roanoke and Albemarle, said Staunton Commonwealth's Attorney Ray Robertson. The Albemarle trial is set for Jan.18.

Sirrine's trial in Roanoke has been rescheduled for Feb. 7-9.

by CNB