Principal Magistrate Krishndat Persaud has remanded to prison a Berbice man accused of armed robbery and of raping a 19-year-old housewife at Number 73 Village, Corentyne.

Twenty-year-old Bisham Gopaul of Number 74 Village was not required to plead when he appeared at the Springlands Court yesterday.

The court heard that around 1 pm on Monday, Gopaul barged into the woman’s home, placed a file to her throat and robbed her of a quantity of gold jewellery worth $295,000 and $10,000 cash that were in a wardrobe.

He also relieved her of a Motorola cell phone. He then allegedly raped her.

In his submissions Gopaul’s attorney Adrian Anamayah argued that the offence is bailable and that his client should be granted his pre-trial freedom.

Police Prosecutor Sergeant Michael Grant objected to bail on the grounds of the seriousness and prevalence of the offence.

Grant also cited the nature and gravity of the crimes and told the court that if placed on bail, the defendant would tamper with the witness.

Gopaul was ordered to appear in court on July 17.