Acting Chief Magistrate Melissa Robertson yesterday remanded two men to prison on charges of stealing a laptop computer, a quantity of cash and several other items from two medical students.

Richards Craignan, a 27-year-old father of six, and Frederick Pereira, a 23-year-old, both of Lot 66 Broad Street, pleaded not guilty to two counts of simple larceny, when they appeared before Robertson at the Georgetown Magistrate’s Court.

It is alleged that on April 10, Craignan and Pereira stole a $290,000 laptop computer and its external drive, which are the property of Sawman Jainarine. The two are also accused of stealing a quantity of cash, a flash drive, a blood pressure tester and several other items, valued at $41,000, belonging to Gitanjali Baburam.

Craignan’s lawyer, Adrian Thompson, stated that the computer drive and the laptop, along with several other items, were returned to both Jainarine and Baburam. He added that his client was willing to compensate them for all the other things that were missing. Thompson also asked that the Jainarine and Baburam both accept the items without prejudice. He then applied for reasonable bail for his client on the grounds that it was a bailable offence and the fact that “it isn’t a case where my client was caught red-handed.”

He noted that though Craignan had other matters pending, the court should take into consideration the fact that his client had not been convicted for any of them.

However, Prosecutor Denise Griffith objected to bail for Craignan, noting that he had been before the court on more than three occasions for similar matters. Further, he also has two such matters still pending against him.

Jainarine noted that he and Craignan had gone to the same high school and that he was surprised when he discovered that Craignan was one of the persons who had stolen his computer and external drive.

He said that on the day in question, he and Baburam had gone to a funeral. He said he had parked his car on Woolford Avenue and when he returned he discovered the items missing.

Jainarine had also lamented how the situation had inconvenienced his studies since he has to start back studying because he has lost four years of notes for his medical course and a medical online package for his examinations.

He noted that all the information had been deleted. He then asked that the magistrate order that the computer be returned to him.

The magistrate then ordered that both Craignan and Pereira be remanded to prison and that they appear back in court on April 17.