Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: TUESDAY, February 14, 1995 TAG: 9502140112
SECTION: VIRGINIA PAGE: C-1 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: MATT CHITTUM STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: LENGTH: Medium
Phillip Sirrine pleaded guilty Monday to charges in Roanoke Circuit Court in the same fashion he committed the crimes that landed him behind bars: politely.
Sirrine, 21, of Salem, was accused of carjacking a Roanoke pizza delivery driver in July, apologizing as he did it, and going on a 38-hour crime spree into central Virginia. He told the delivery driver he was going to round up mercenaries to fight in Mexico.
To each of Judge Richard Pattisal's questions about whether he understood what his plea meant, Sirrine nodded and said softly, ``Yes sir,'' or ``I am.''
He sat quietly in his chair as Assistant Commonwealth's Attorney Joel Branscom played a tape of a statement given to police by Crista Birmingham, the 19-year old driver for Papa John's Pizza on Brambleton Avenue.
Sirrine grinned when Birmingham recounted how he gave her a necklace she had left in the car, saying, ``Sometimes little things count more than expensive things.'' Birmingham said he let her take everything she wanted out of the car and left her near a pay phone with plenty of change to call for help.
The only other evidence presented was testimony by Albemarle County Detective Howard Porter, who said Sirrine was still driving Birmingham's car when he was arrested by state police just outside Charlottesville after robbing a hair salon there. Porter said he found a cocked, loaded pistol on the front seat of the car and an empty Papa John's pizza box in the back.
Sirrine pleaded guilty to charges of carjacking and use of a firearm in Roanoke. Originally, he also was charged with robbery and abduction, as well as two more counts of using a firearm. Under an arrangement that allowed Pattisal to sit as special judge for Albemarle County Circuit Court, he also pleaded guilty to robbery and use of a firearm charges in that jurisdiction.
Sirrine's attorney, Gary Lumsden, had been planning an insanity defense in the case, but now plans to present the psychiatric evidence at Sirrine's sentencing April 4.
``Phillip was under some sort of delusion that he was on a mission of greater importance than the robbery itself,'' Lumsden said.
Sirrine also is accused of robbing a shoe store in Staunton, but Staunton Commonwealth's Attorney Ray Robertson said a plea agreement has been reached there. Sirrine is expected to appear in court Thursday to plead guilty and receive a 10-year sentence not to be served concurrently with any other sentence.
Branscom said the minimum sentence for the Roanoke charges is six years. The maximum is life, but Branscom said that is not a likely sentence.
by CNB