Duo accused of planning armed robbery remanded

Junior Solomon, 24, a Labourer of Second Street Agricola, East Bank Demerara and Kelvin Niles, a carwash attendant of Second Street, Agricola pleaded not guilty to the charge which alleged that between January 24 and January 25 at Georgetown they conspired with each other and another person unknown to commit a felony, that is to say robbery under arms.

Police Prosecutor Michael Grant explained that about 21:00 hours on January 24, the police received information that a robbery was about to happen. Grant said as a result a party of police ranks went to Sheriff Street where they spotted the two defendants sitting on a culvert.

When questioned by the police, Grant said the men claimed that they were waiting on someone. According to Grant, they were arrested and Solomon’s phone was taken away.

The Prosecutor told the Court that when the ranks checked the messages in Solomon’s phone, they saw one from “Tall Boy” which revealed that they were planning to rob an Indian national who lives in the vicinity around 02:00 hours the next morning.

Grant said the duo orally confessed to the plot and took the police to the man’s house, saying that was where they intended to rob. They were later charged.

Attorneys-at-Law Patrice Henry and Paul Fung-a-Fat represented Solomon and Niles respectively. They said that their clients have no priors and requested reasonable bail.

Henry claimed that the police threatened to burn his client’s genitals and hands to confess. Meanwhile, Fung-a-Fat said that while in custody, his client [Niles] was denied the right to a lawyer, even though he asked.

The lawyer told the court that the men have been in custody since Sunday (January 25); well in excess of the allowed 72 hours.

Grant objected to bail, citing the penalty the offence attracts. He told the court that the men provided the police with several different addresses.

Bail was refused and the case will be called again on February 02 before the Chief Magistrate.