Two men accused of burglarising homes in Parfait/ Harmonie were remanded to prison when they appeared at the Wales Magistrates’ Court yesterday. Alton Goulding, called ‘Tall Man,’ 25, of Grove, East Bank Demerara (EBD) and Raymond Rudolph, called ‘Yankee,’ of Lot 20 Eccles Public Road, EBD, were not required to plead to indictable charges of burglary and breaking and entering when they appeared before Magistrate Ann Mclennan.
On the charge of burglary, it is alleged that at Westminister, Parfait/ Harmonie, West Bank Demerara, they stole a tape deck valued at $40 000, a car battery worth $28 000 and $4,000, for a total value of $72 000, the property of John Haynes. On the second charge, it is alleged that during the night of January 17, at Onderneeming, Parfait/ Harmonie, the duo broke and entered the house of Victor Adonis with intent to steal.
Reports are that Adonis returned home and found the two men inside and held on to them until the police arrived. Following investigations, they were charged with the offences. The two men are believed to be part of a gang that has been burglarising homes in the Parfait/ Harmonie housing development over the past few months. Residents had told this newspaper that since last year a gang has wreaked havoc in the scheme and even the home of a senior police officer was broken into. The gang would usually target homes that are now being built and in which tools and other building materials such as cement are left. In some instances, residents said, the robbers would defecate in the house as their “trademark.”
The men’s attorney told the court yesterday that Goulding is a taxi-driver and had recently moved to Grove. The counsel said that Goulding says that he was nowhere around where the alleged incident occurred. In relation to Rudolph, she said that he has a wife and two children. She said he drives a mini-bus and according to her instructions, he does not know the virtual complainants and was not around at the date and time when the alleged incident occurred. She asked for bail to be granted in a reasonable sum.
Both her clients also alleged that they were severely beaten while in custody, she said. Police Prosecutor Anandpersaud Sukhoo objected to bail. He said investigations are ongoing into similar offences involving the two accused and other charges will be instituted. Further, he said, he had no information on the alleged beatings and there was no medical. After listening to the submissions, the magistrate denied bail and the men will have to return to court on February 28 at Wales.
