Teens remanded over knifepoint robbery

Three 17-year-old Barticans who allegedly robbed a man of a cellular phone worth $9,000 were remanded to prison when they appeared before the Georgetown Magistrate’s Court yesterday.

Rawle Robinson of Lot 18 Foreman, Bartica Housing Scheme, Travis Smith of Lot L First Street, Bartica and Paul McKenzie of 51 Seventh Avenue, Bartica were not required to plead to the charge of robbery under arms when it was read to them by Magistrate Hazel Octive-Hamilton.

It is alleged that on October 2 at Third Avenue, Bartica, Essequibo River the trio while being armed with a knife robbed Christopher Jardine of one cellular phone worth $9,000.

Attorney-at-law Peter Hugh represented the trio. According to him, on the day in question, the teenagers had given Jardine $1,000 to buy some food but the man never returned. Later, Hugh said, the teens saw Jardeen and he could not account for the money. The man subsequently left his phone with the young men as security until he was able to repay the money, the attorney told the court.

Hugh further said that his clients were taken to the Bartica Hospital and were given medication for injuries they sustained while in police custody. The attorney applied for bail for the teens stating that sending them to prison would mean exposing them to “hardened criminals” and this may have a detrimental impact upon them at their tender age.

However, the prosecution objected to bail being granted while noting that the facts the court had were different from those submitted by Hugh. According to the prosecutor, Jardine was walking along Third Avenue, Bartica when he was confronted by the trio who held him up at knifepoint and relieved him of the cell phone. Robinson, the prosecution said, was armed with a knife and after the robbery McKenzie and Smith assaulted Jardine.

The trio was later apprehended by a police mobile patrol in the vicinity, the prosecution stated. The weapon was found on Robinson while the phone was in Smith’s possession, the prosecution added.

Magistrate Octive-Hamilton denied bail and the matter was transferred to the Bartica Magistrate’s Court for October 29.