Acting Chief Magistrate Melissa Robertson yesterday remanded a 19-year-old to prison and fined another $25,000 when they appeared before her on separate charges relating to snatching gold jewellery.

Devon Ramroop, 19, of Barrack Street, Kingston pleaded not guilty to the charge of larceny from the person, while Reas Trotman, 19, pleaded guilty to a similar charge.

Ramroop denied that he snatched Alicia Hussein’s chain valued $15, 000 on April 21, while she was at Stabroek Market.
However, Trotman admitted that he had snatched Wendy Beaton’s gold band valued $40,000 on April 20 while she was walking through an alley.

In Ramroop’s case, the prosecution said that on the day in question, a short while after Ramroop had allegedly snatched the chain, a policeman who was in the area apprehended him as he was trying to flee. The chain was allegedly recovered on Ramroop’s person.

However Ramroop’s lawyer, Mohamed Zafar denied that the chain was found on his client. He later applied for reasonable bail for his client. But the magistrate ordered that Ramroop be remanded to prison until today since she was not sure about the address he had given the court. The prosecution said that Ramroop had given the police another address.

Meanwhile, Trotman, in tears, said “Yuh worship, ah sorry. I din mean fuh do it but meh brother get lock up.” He said that his brother was allegedly caught with several pounds of cocaine in his possession at the Cheddi Jagan International Airport earlier in the year and had been imprisoned ever since. He said this had created a strain on his family since the brother was the sole breadwinner. He said he had had to take over that role and it was tough on him.

Beaton, who was also present in court, said that on the day in question she was walking through an alley, when Trotman rode up next to her on a bicycle and snatched the gold band.

She said that as he was riding away, it fell and she pleaded with him to return it, but he picked it up and went on his way.
The magistrate subsequently ordered that Trotman pay a fine of $25,000 or serve six months imprisonment.