ROGERSVILLE — A Hawkins County man who choked a Rogersville video store clerk and stole $250 was sentenced Monday to 10 years in prison by Judge John Dugger.
Gwyne Ujiamia Gilmore, 38, formerly of 729 Webster Valley Road, Rogersville, spent more than a year following his Aug. 12, 2010, arrest in a psychiatric institution in Nashville due to competency issues.
Assistant Attorney General Kevin Keeton told the judge Monday that Gilmore is currently competent to stand trial and would have been competent at the time of the offenses.
Gilmore was originally charged with attempted first-degree murder, but that charge was dismissed last year, leaving only the aggravated robbery charge pertaining to the Movie Time Video robbery on Route 66 in Rogersville.
Keeton said the proper charge should have been attempted second-degree murder, but there was no need to file that charge because any sentence would have been concurrent with the aggravated robbery charge, which is more serious with a stiffer penalty.
Gilmore was sentenced to nine years on the aggravated robbery charge and must serve a minimum of 85 percent.
At the time of the video store robbery, Gilmore was free on bond for auto burglary, vandalism under $500 and theft under $500 stemming from an incident that occurred July 28, 2010.
For those charges he was sentenced Monday to an additional one year, which must be served consecutive to the robbery sentence, although that one year has a 30 percent release eligibility.
At the time of the robbery, Gilmore was also on probation for misdemeanor child abuse, and the remaining time on that 11 month and 29 day jail sentence must also be served consecutive to the other 10 years.
A co-defendant, Sonya Bowman, 43, 125 Temple Road, Rogersville, is scheduled to appear before Dugger on Friday.
Bowman allegedly accompanied Gilmore to the video store. She reportedly told police she was talking to Gilmore, and then she saw Gilmore walking toward the female clerk.
Bowman reportedly told police she then heard the girl gasp for breath between the aisles and ran out “because she did not want to be a part of it.”
A witness told police Gilmore left the shopping plaza in a vehicle with Bowman and her husband.
That witness took down the Bowmans’ vehicle tag number, which gave police an address to check.
Gilmore was arrested by Hawkins County Sheriff’s Office deputies later that day after fleeing on foot from the Bowman residence.