Twenty-eight-year-old Jose Hopkinson was earlier today remanded to prison on a larceny charge when he appeared at the Georgetown Magistrate’s Court.
He pleaded not guilty to the charge which alleged that on November 7, 2016, at Sheriff Street, Georgetown he stole over $300,000 worth in items from Lestra Crandon. He is also currently in court charged with another matter.
The defendant told the court that he is being wrongfully accused of the act.
However, the Prosecutor told Magistrate McLennan that the defendant was seen with the items in a motorcar.
Hopkinson along with two others (still to be apprehended) allegedly robbed Lestra at Knife point in the company of her two daughters as she stopped to make a purchase at a fast food outlet.
The woman who is the wife of current coach of the National Cricket Team Guyana Jaguars, Esuan Crandon had related that she stopped to purchase pizza for her daughter who celebrated her birthday on Monday. When she stopped, a man confronted her and held onto her bag and soon after the other joined in and attempted to relieve her car keys from her.
At the time, she noted, that she was fearful for her life and that of her two daughters.
She explained that prior to the robbery, she did a bank transaction in the city and believes that she might have been followed by the men. “I don’t know where these guys came from… they came onto me suddenly but I tried to fight them off… one of them remain in a car and the two others were fighting with me,” she added.
An alarm was raised and persons around ran to her rescue but by then the men had already taken her handbag.
Hopkinson was subsequently arrested. He is scheduled to make his next court appearance on November 18, 2016.
