Tyrone Rowe, aka ‘Cobra’, repeatedly maintained his innocence as he was arraigned on charges of murder, two counts of armed robbery and damage to property when he made his appearance at the Georgetown Magistrates’ Court yesterday.
When the matter was called up before acting Chief Magistrate Melissa Robertson, Rowe who was clad in a white shirt with bow-tie and jeans said “I ain’t name Cobra, my name is Tyrone Rowe.”
Rowe, who had previously sat quietly in the dock, ‘sucked his teeth’ (wordless gesture of vexation) as he was told of the charges against him. He had to be told by Magistrate Robertson to conduct himself properly in court and that he would be given a chance to say something, if he wished.
An application was then made by Police Prosecutor Stephen Telford for all the matters against Rowe to be read as indictable. The charges against the unrepresented alleged gang leader claim that on August 5 at Plaisance, East Coast Demerara, he murdered Troy Collymore aka ‘Colly’. Further, it is alleged that on May 16 at Georgetown, being armed with a gun, he robbed Mark Hunte of two gold chains and a gold band valued at $160,000.
Also on March 1, being armed with a gun, Rowe allegedly robbed Troy Collins of $1,463,000 worth of gold and diamond jewellery. Lastly, it is alleged that on September 4 at Brickdam Police Station, he unlawfully and maliciously damaged a one-way mirror valued at $1.4 million, being the property of the Guyana Police Force.
Rowe, 17, and a labourer of 268 Independence Boulevard, Albouystown, told Magistrate Robertson “me nah got to lie. I won’t lie for anything.” Additionally he said, “I didn’t do anything, me ain’t know about no murder and robbery.”
He told the court that a police officer went to the lock-ups and accused him of killing ‘Colly’. In turn, he said, he asked the officer if he knew who killed Anthony Taylor. He added that the officer then hit his head into the glass which caused it to break. He showed the magistrate a bump on his forehead which he said was a result of that incident.
He said the police wanted him to be part of an identification parade but he refused since there was no one else who looked like him in the line-up. After his refusal, Rowe said, the police started beating him to get him to comply.
Further, the teenager who police said was the head of the ‘Cobra’ gang related that he was dragged from the lock-ups and put in a room with several police officers who hit him about his hands and used a Taser (an electroshock weapon) to shock him.
“They didn’t want to hit me bad because they don’t want the injuries to show,” Rowe said.
“I didn’t kill anybody, I turn myself in… they [the police] got to know who killed Taylor,” the teenager said from the dock.
Meanwhile Police Prosecutor Stephen Telford asked for the accused to be remanded on the murder charge and the matter transferred to Sparendaam Magistrate’s Court for October 8. His application was granted.
Before he was remanded, Magistrate Robertson advised the accused to acquire the services of a lawyer or to approach Legal Aid for assistance. He responded, “Me ain’t know nothing.”
Rowe then pointed at one of the police officers in the courtroom and said, “I can’t forget this man, he tell me…’Cobra’ you kill my friend, I gun put a tight boots on you.” Rowe added, “they want me talk about things I don’t know about.”
Rowe was then remanded. The robbery charge in the instance of Troy Collins has been put down for October 15 in Court Five while the charge relating to Mark Hunte and the damage to property has been set for October 22 in Court two.
Last Thursday, Rowe turned himself in to police while claiming his innocence and expressing the view that the police had wanted to kill him. Police had said that the 17-year-old was the head of an infamous gang tied to a string of armed robberies and at least one murder in the past few months in and around the city.
Commissioner Henry Greene linked Rowe to a shootout at East Ruimveldt in July during which 17-year-old Osafie Johnson and national footballer Dexter Bentick were shot and injured. According to the Commissioner, Johnson who is part of the ‘Cobra’ gang opened fire on the police and was later found with a gun.
The Plaisance shooting claimed the life of robber Anthony Taylor, 24, and later that of Troy Collymore, who was at the Datt’s Drugstore when at least three armed bandits arrived. Taylor was said to have been a key figure in the gang and was known to the police. Crime Chief Seelall Persaud had said that ballistics tests conducted on the warheads removed from the men’s bodies revealed that they were from the same .45 calibre firearm. He also indicated that the weapon was linked to Rowe.
However there have been no new developments in this matter.
