An eighteen-year-old, who is accused of attempting to murder a man after allegedly robbing a woman of cash and raw gold, and another man, who allegedly had a quantity of ammunition, were remanded to prison yesterday when they appeared at the Georgetown Magistrate’s Court.
Lloyd Samuels of 119 Bagotville, West Bank Demerara, was not required to enter a plea to the indictable charge of attempted murder when he appeared unrepresented before Acting Chief Magistrate Melissa Robertson.
He was also not required to plead to the indictable charges of robbery under arms and discharging a loaded firearm at a man when he appeared before Magistrate Hazel Octive-Hamilton.
It is alleged that on December 1, at Arakaka, in the North West District, Samuels discharged a loaded firearm at Peter Barnes, with intent to murder him or to maim, disfigure, disable or cause him grievous bodily harm.
It is also alleged that on the same day and place, he used a gun to rob Marie Campbell of $300,000 cash and three pennyweights of raw gold valued $30, 000, all the property of Collie Wesley Wilson.
As it pertains to the attempted murder charge, Prosecutor Stephen Telford asked that the matter be transferred to the Matthew’s Ridge Magistrate’s Court.
The prosecutor also objected to Samuels’ bail application, when he suggested it, on the grounds that Barnes is currently hospitalised since he suffered three gunshot wounds, one to his ribs, another to his chest and the other to his shoulder, as a result of the incident.
The magistrate subsequently granted the prosecutor his request by transferring the cases to the Matthew’s Ridge Magistrate’s Court for February 2 next year.
Meanwhile, Selwin Vandercruize, also of 119 Bagotville, West Bank Demerara, appeared before Magistrate Octive-Hamilton and pleaded not guilty to two charges of unlawful possession of ammunition.
It is alleged that on December 4, at Arakaka, in the North West District, the father of seven had sixty-five .357 rounds of ammunition and a .357 cylinder that is the component of a gun in his possession without being the owner of a firearm licence.
His lawyer Peter Hugh applied for reasonable bail for him on the grounds that the next court hearing at the Matthew’s Ridge Magistrate’s Court is three months away and his client should not have to languish in prison till then.
However, Prosecutor Shellon Daniels objected to the bail application on the grounds that bail is only granted to a person in such cases if there are special circumstances.
She said that the defence had not presented any special circumstances in the matters.
The magistrate then ordered that Vandercruize’s cases be transferred to the Matthew’s Ridge Magistrate’s Court for February 2.
