A man who was accidentally shot during an armed robbery by his partner-in-crime has been jailed for 7½ years.

Taariq Clarke, 24, from Pembroke, admitted charges of aggravated burglary and using a firearm to commit an indictable offence in connection to an incident on March 14, 2014.

The court heard that at about 8pm, a group of men were in a Middle Terrace Road, Pembroke, home when two men wearing gloves and visored helmets entered the room, one wielding a firearm.

The suspects demanded that the men empty their pockets and the victims complied, handing over their cellphones.

The complainants told police that they did not know what happened next, but they heard a gunshot and the culprits left. The victims then noticed a trail of blood leading from the home to a parking space adjacent to the main road.

Later that evening, Clarke arrived at the King Edward VII Memorial Hospital complaining that he had been shot in his right forearm.

Questioned, he told police that he had been in the Vesey Street area near some stables when he heard a gunshot and felt his arm “vibrate”. He then ran into the trees, where he called a friend to collect him and take him to hospital.

Police were unable to find any evidence of a shooting on Vesey Street, however they did discover a bloodstained jacket near the junction of Arlington Drive and Middle Road in Smith’s, which matched the description of one worn by one of the burglars.

DNA evidence later linked Clarke to both the jacket and the blood found at the scene of the crime.

Clarke later admitted his involvement in the robbery and agreed to help police with their investigation into the incident, including naming the other person allegedly involved in the burglary. Speaking in court, Clarke apologised for his unlawful actions and for embarrassing the community, saying that he sincerely regretted the incident.

Defence lawyer Charles Richardson told the court that Clarke was under the belief that the weapon was not going to be used in the robbery and, while he had initially told police a “frightened lie”, he did come clean at an early stage.

Prosecutor Loxly Ricketts said that while the maximum sentence for both offences is 20 years, a sentence of 7½ years would be appropriate, given Clarke’s guilty plea and the assistance he provided to police.

He also called for the court to order that Clarke serve at least half of his sentence before becoming eligible for parole, noting the seriousness of firearm offences, which Mr Richardson accepted was legally justified.

Puisne Judge Carlisle Greaves said the proposed sentence seemed appropriate, and he could not immediately see any reason to differ from it. As a result, he sentenced Clarke to 7½ years in prison, including time already served, ordering that he must serve half of that sentence before becoming eligible for parole.