A man responsible for robbing a woman, who was nine months pregnant, at gunpoint will serve life in prison without the possibility of parole.
Following a one-day trial, a Criminal Court jury took less than 30 minutes to convict Michael Bailey, 44, of aggravated robbery, Wednesday, May 7th, according to a press release from the Shelby County District Attorney General’s Office.
On Oct. 14, 2008, Bailey robbed a 24-year-old woman at gunpoint as she was getting out of her car in the 100 block of North Belvedere. The woman, who happened to be one day past her due date, had her 5-year-old son with her when the incident occurred. After taking her purse and car keys, Bailey hopped into the woman’s Ford Taurus and drove off. He was arrested later and identified in a photo lineup.
Neither the woman nor her 5-year-old son suffered any injuries during the robbery. She gave birth to a son less than a week later.
Bailey is a repeat violent offender with a criminal record that dates back to 1990. He has more than 15 prior felony convictions, which include thefts, assaults, and aggravated robberies.
Bailey robbed the pregnant women just six days after he was released from prison on parole. Originally, he plead guilty to the robbery and was sentenced to a 30-year sentence without parole. However, a technical error on the judgment sheet incorrectly indicated parole was possible, motivating Bailey to withdraw his plea and ask for a trial.
Due to his extensive criminal record, Bailey will automatically be sentenced to life in prison without parole as a three-strikes offender when he returns to court on June 16th.
