Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: WEDNESDAY, April 12, 1995 TAG: 9504120061
SECTION: VIRGINIA PAGE: C-4 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: MATT CHITTUM STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: LENGTH: Medium
They all agreed that Sirrine was an upstanding young man. And they all said they were shocked that Sirrine had committed a series of robberies in Roanoke, Staunton and Albemarle County during a 38-hour crime spree last July, apologizing to his victims as he robbed them, and leaving one at a pay phone with change to call for help.
Then, a psychiatrist testified that Sirrine was suffering from the delusion that he was on some sort of military mission when he committed the crimes.
But when it was all over, Roanoke Circuit Judge Richard Pattisal sentenced Sirrine to 26 years in prison, with 16 years suspended, for one charge each of robbery and carjacking and two firearms charges. Sirrine pleaded guilty to the Roanoke and Albemarle County charges last month.
The 10-year sentence is to be served consecutively to the 10 years Sirrine already has to serve for a robbery and firearms charge in Staunton as part of the same spree.
The sentence was exactly what Assistant Commonwealth's Attorney Joel Branscom had recommended. Branscom acknowledged that Sirrine had lived an exemplary life until the day-and-a-half crime spree, which started in Roanoke when he held up a pizza delivery driver.
"Unfortunately, you have to sentence him for what he did during that day and a half, not the rest of his life," Branscom said.
Psychiatrist J. Richard Frazier said he can't be sure what triggered Sirrine's delusion. He did say that the fantasy may have been related to Sirrine's experience as a Marine reservist. Sirrine's first robbery victim, pizza delivery driver Crista Birmingham, told police in July that Sirrine had said he was recruiting mercenaries to fight in Mexico.
When Pattisal asked Sirrine if he could offer an explanation, Sirrine said, "It's as much a mystery to me as anyone else."
Sirrine's attorney, Gary Lumsden, said the total of 20 years is excessive, given the psychiatric evidence and Sirrine's life up until last summer. He had expected Pattisal to add, at most, six years to the Staunton sentence.
Now, Lumsden said, his greatest concern is where Sirrine serves his time. Someone like Sirrine shouldn't be doing time with hardened criminals in a prison such as Mecklenburg, he said.
Sirrine remained stoic throughout Tuesday's proceeding, but in a letter to a reporter last week, he said he's trying to make the most of what's before him. He looks on prison as a chance to do what he loves most - reading and writing.
"I'd probably find a way to be happy in hell," he wrote.
by CNB