Frenetic goat chase unfolds in court

Was it a case of goat theft? Or were they taking the goat to the police? A seaman and a taxi-driver charged with stealing a goat were remanded to prison when the duo appeared at the Vreed-en-Hoop Magistrate’s Court yesterday.

Rajin Persaud, 21, of Diamond Housing Scheme and Vishnu Charran, 28, of Lot ‘F’ Groveland stelling, East Bank Demerara denied the charge of larceny of goat and were remanded to prison by Magistrate Fazil Azeez.

It is alleged that last Thursday at La Union, West Coast Demerara, the duo stole the goat valued at $40,000, the property of Ramesh Sugrim.

Sugrim told that court that he saw the duo in a car reversing the vehicle into a gas station. He said that the two goats were grazing nearby. The virtual complainant declared that the defendants grabbed the goat put it into the vehicle and drove away.

He said that he followed them in his vehicle but they apparently knew the area well and drove through a side road.

Sugrim stated that at one time, he attempted to block the road but they drove around him. He asserted that it was not until they came to a bridge that he blocked their path and at this point the police came.

Attorney-at-law Nandine Ramkumar, who entered an appearance for the duo, however, stated that according to her instructions, her clients had hit the goat and were taking it to the police station.

In a bail application she stated that Persaud is a seaman and had no previous convictions. Charran, she said, was a taxi-driver, married with two children and had no previous convictions.

The magistrate remanded the duo and they will return to court on October 27 at the Vreed-en-Hoop Magistrate’s court.