A man accused of stealing $500,000 worth of items from a Lombard Street spare parts store was yesterday remanded to prison when he appeared before Magistrate Priya Beharry at the Georgetown Magistrate’s Court.

It is alleged that between June 1 and August 9 at Lombard Street, Georgetown, Denny Hunter broke and entered the spare parts store of Turam Mohabeer and stole items valued $500,000, property of the said Turam Mohabeer.

The defendant pleaded not guilty to the charge of break and enter and larceny when it was read to him by the magistrate.
Police Prosecutor Denise Griffith told the court that on the day in question, the virtual complainant (VC) had secured his premises  and left. Sometime later, Griffith said, the VC was summoned to his store by someone who told him that thieves had broken into it.

According to Griffith, the VC caught the accused in the store.
The prosecutor asked that the defendant be denied bail on the grounds that he had previous brushes with the law.
The VC was not in court.

When given a chance to respond, the defendant said that he never broke into the store. He told the court that he gathers scrap iron and on the day in question, while walking along Lombard Street he noticed an old metal gate in the yard of the store and ventured to get it.

No sooner had he gotten into the yard, the accused said,  a group of people rushed over to him and began to torture and beat him up.
“Deh propa beat meh up meh worship, if yuh see how deh out cigarette on meh hand and all kinda thing,” the accused said.
Hunter complained also that the police denied him the opportunity  of seeking medical attention.
The unrepresented Hunter was later remanded to prison until August 24.