Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: FRIDAY, February 17, 1995 TAG: 9502170036
SECTION: VIRGINIA PAGE: B-3 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: MATT CHITTUM STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: LENGTH: Medium
Phillip Sirrine, 21, of Salem entered pleas of guilty Thursday to charges of robbery and use of a firearm in the commission of a felony, Staunton Commonwealth's Attorney Ray Robertson said. Sirrine was accused of robbing a Staunton Pic-Way Shoe Store on July 27.
Sirrine was sentenced to 10 years in prison as part of a plea arrangement between Robertson and James Dungan, Staunton chief deputy public defender. The 10 years are not to be served concurrently with any other sentence.
When Sirrine was arrested, police found a couple of shopping bags containing merchandise and July 27 receipts from Wal-Mart and Dollar Tree stores across the street from the Pic-Way. The receipts had times that showed Sirrine did some shopping just before holding up the shoe store, according to Robertson.
Robertson said he summarized evidence in court that Sirrine entered the Pic-Way and asked for a shoe box. While Sirrine was in the store, one of the clerks took the cash drawer into the back to count the money. Sirrine followed her, pulled out a handgun and demanded the cash. He put about $185 in the box and fled.
Sirrine was arrested the next day in Albemarle County after a robbery there. Besides the receipts, police found the Pic-Way shoe box he had taken in Staunton, Robertson said. The box contained money with wrappers around it from a Crestar bank in Staunton.
Sirrine pleaded guilty in Roanoke Circuit Court earlier this week to charges of carjacking a Papa John's Pizza delivery driver in Roanoke in the early morning July 27 and robbing a hair salon in Albemarle County on July 28, as well as to a pair of firearms charges. The delivery driver, Crista Birmingham, said Sirrine took all her cash and her car, but apologized as he did it. He left her near a pay phone with enough change to call for help.
by CNB