“Is because I from Tiger Bay dat de police always accusing me whenever de store get a break-in,” a 26-year-old man told Acting Chief Magistrate Melissa Robertson when he appeared at the Georgetown Magistrate’s Court on Wednesday.

Odingo Edwards, of 20 Queens Street, South Cummingsburg is accused breaking and entering the Guyana Stores garage and stealing 20 tyres valued $370,000 and $886,000, totalling over $1.2M. He pleaded not guilty to the charge and was granted $75,000 bail.

The prosecution told the court that on December 28, at Water Street Edwards together with four others who were armed with several pieces of wood and cutlasses broke into the garage and stole the items. A security guard on duty raised an alarm; apprehending Edwards with some of the items and a cutlass in his hand while the other men made good their escape. Edwards was later handed over to the police and was charged with the offence. The prosecution said too Edwards is known to the court and had been charged on several occasions with similar offences.

Edwards said too he had been charged in the past for breaking into the same garage and stealing several items. In his defence the man said on the day in question he had been swimming near the wharf aback the market when several policemen grabbed him, placed guns to his head and told him that they were arresting him for the break-in. He said the police had also told him that if another robbery occurs at the store he would be charged with the offence whether or not he was guilty.

Edwards was ordered to appear in court on January 16.