Magistrate Melissa Robertson-Ogle yesterday placed two men on $50,000 bail each for allegedly stealing a woman’s cell phone.
Earl Joe, 21, of Lot 1 Meadow Bank and Odell Smartt, 20, of Lot 20 Princes Street reportedly robbed Ronita Stuart of one Sony Ericsson cell phone valued at $38,000 on January 21.
Attorney-at-Law Patrice Henry, appearing for Joe, argued that his client was innocent and was just a passer-by when he was picked up by the police for a crime he did not commit.
Stuart said she was not sure whether Joe should be implicated in the crime, since Smartt was the one who grabbed the phone from her, biting her hand in the process.
Further maintaining his client’s innocence Henry said that Joe was gainfully employed and has had no previous encounters with the police. This being so, he expressed surprise that Joe was listed as the number one defendant.
Smartt, a plumber, who also pleaded not guilty to the charge, was not represented by a lawyer and did not say anything in his defence.
The matter will be called again in Court Six on February 6.
