Steven Phillip Smith on Monday was sentenced to life plus 25 years in prison for his June convictions in the 2008 slaying of a man and non-fatal shooting of a second man during a botched armed robbery.
The sentence from Chatham County Superior Court Judge Timothy R. Walmsley included several additional convictions in a 24-hour mini-crime spree beginning shortly after midnight Sept. 6, 2008.
Smith, who was 17 at that time of the crimes, faced a maximum sentence of four, consecutive life terms plus a number of years, Walmsley said..
Walmsley sentenced Smith to life on a murder charge in the slaying of Jatinjumar "Justin" Patel, 42, who was slain Sept. 6, 2008, at the BP station at Eisenhower Drive and Skidaway Road.
He added 20 years, consecutive, in an aggravated assault charge in the non-fatal shooting of Jasmatbhai non-"PK" Prakashkumer, 24, at the same crime scene, then added a consecutive 5-year term for possession of a firearm during the commission of a felony.
He ordered three additional life terms, each concurrent to the first life sentence, for armed robbery of $143 from Miguel Angel Perez, later on Sept. 6 at a work site at 1124 E. Bolton St. and armed robbery of Shannon Freeman and her husband, Justin Freeman, on Sept. 7, 2008, at the Bonna Bella Yacht Club in Sandfly where they worked.
Prosecutor Arvo Henifin argued that Smith should be sentenced to two, life terms plus five years.
Assistant Public Defender Jennifer Burns urged Walmsley for mercy and a minimum sentence of life plus five years.