The incident happened on January 5th, 2016. 58-year-old owner Maria Pou had recently collected $500 in rent money from a tenant. She didn't keep that money for very long because shortly after it was handed over, she was attacked by a man who got into a scuffle with her. That man grabbed the money from her, and in the process of their struggle, Pou fell to the ground, hit her head, and suffered abrasions to her knees and other parts of her body.

She didn't see who her attacker was, but there were eyewitnesses who identified the culprit as Arnold during his trial for robbery and wounding. During that same trial, Maria Pou told the court that she was very surprised that someone from her own neighborhood would rob her.

In his defense, Arnold maintained his innocence, but after considering all the evidence in the trial, the Chief Magistrate was not convinced. She informed Arnold that his defense has not called the prosecution's evidence against him into doubt. Among the evidence that the prosecution presented was surveillance footage, which police used to also identify him as the robber.

When it was time to decide on a sentence, the Chief Magistrate asked Arnold if he had anything to say on his behalf. Arnold continued to maintain his innocence, and he told the court that he could not ask for leniency because that would mean that he is admitting he committed the crime.

While arriving at the appropriate sentence, the Chief Magistrate took note that he has had a long rap sheet of prior conflicts with the law. She's also a member of the Parole Board at the Belize Central Prison, and she noted that she has seen positive changes in him.