Acting Chief Magistrate Melissa Robertson on Thurs-day remanded a DVD vendor and a carpenter, who allegedly stole $1.7M in car batteries, chargers and several other items, when they appeared before her at the Georgetown Magistrate’s Court.

Twenty-year-old Joel Harding, of Lot 8 Prince William Street, Plaisance, East Coast Demerara and Brian Charles, 20, of Vryheid’s Lust, East Coast Demerara, both pleaded not guilty to two counts of break and enter and larceny.

Brian Charles

It is alleged that on March 2, Harding and Charles broke and entered King Solomon’s Building and stole 36 wristwatches, ornaments and several other items valued at over $1.2M.

It is also alleged that on April 5, Harding and Charles again broke into King Solomon’s building and stole 11 car batteries, two Dell Desktop computers among other items totalling $575,000 in value.

Prosecutor Denise Griffith stated that on April 5, the police acting upon information received, intercepted Harding and Charles selling the batteries and watches in Albouystown. However,  Charles stated that on the day in question he and Harding were on their way to their boss’s home at Grove, East Coast Demerara, when “two junkies” approached them with the items for sale.

He said that the “junkies” then showed them the 11 batteries and told them “a tek it from a man that owe we”. He said that he then gave the “junkies’ $4, 000 and placed the batteries in a car and that he and Harding went to Albouystown.

He said that when he and Harding got there, two plainclothes policemen approached them and asked “wey de batteries”.  Charles went on to say that they showed the policemen who took the batteries out of the car and then arrested them.

“We de went up with some other boys to King Solomon store and I only tek four watches, they tek de rest”.

Harding then stated that he was on his way to take some groceries to his aunt in Grove when the two “junkies” told him that they got the batteries and chargers from “under some old house by a man that owe them”. He said that he and Charles had put their money together and purchased the batteries for $4, 000.

The magistrate subsequently ordered that Harding and Charles be remanded to prison and transferred the case to Court Three for April 14.