– Geddes Grant armed robbery

Two men appeared before Magistrate Krishndat Persaud in the New Amsterdam Magistrate’s Court yesterday charged with last Thursday’s robbery at Geddes Grant, and one was remanded to prison while the other was granted bail.

Dwayne Harris

Dwayne Harris called ‘Buck’, 20, of Lot 124 Aubrey Barker Street, South Ruimveldt, was remanded to prison while his accomplice Courtney Patterson, 37, a taxi driver of Lot 68 Glasgow Housing Scheme, Greater New Amsterdam, was allowed bail in the sum of $200,000. They were not required to plead to a joint charge of robbery under arms and will return to court on May 11, for report.

The two allegedly robbed the Geddes Grant, New Amsterdam branch of $1,325,740 last Thursday.

Opposing bail, Police Prosecutor Assistant Superintendent Faizal Karimbaksh noted the nature, gravity and prevalence of offences in which firearms are used. The officer further informed the court that the investigation into the incident was continuing and additional charges are expected to be laid.

Courtney Patterson

Karimbaksh told the court that Patterson allegedly brought Harris from Georgetown on April 2, the day prior to the incident, and he stayed at a house in Stanleytown where the robbery scheme was plotted.

According to reports, a man armed with a gun, and riding on a bicycle, confronted Jacqueline Rambali, an accounts clerk employed at Geddes Grant, and an unarmed security guard as they exited their building to make a deposit at the Republic Bank across the street. The robber fired his weapon, but the bullet missed the guard, who fell to the ground and the thief escaped with two safety deposit bags containing the cash.

Eyewitness reportedly saw the bandit toss the weapon and the bicycle in the corner of New Street, which runs in the eastern direction from the scene robbery on noticing a vehicle belonging to GEB, a private security firm, approaching. He thereafter headed for a car which was parked in the vicinity of a popular bar, a short distance away. However, the vehicle developed mechanical difficulties, and the police who were summoned, arrested the two men.