Alleged cell phone thief on $50,000 bail

A man accused of stealing a woman’s cell phone was yesterday admitted to bail in the sum of $50,000 by Magistrate Hazel Octave-Hamilton.

The allegation presented against Michael Phillips at the Georgetown Magistrates’ Court was that on August 30, at Georgetown, he stole a gold chain, valued $112,000, from the person of Viola Moore.

Phillips, a stallholder of Lot 684 ‘B’ Field Sophia pleaded not guilty to the charge of larceny from the person when it was read to him. No facts of what transpired on the day in question were presented to the court.

Attorney Patrice Henry was successful in securing his client’s pre-trial liberty. The lawyer advanced that his client had no antecedents, posed no risk of flight, had a fixed place of abode and had been cooperating with police investigations.

The prosecution had no objections to the bail application made by the attorney but requested that same be granted in a substantial sum to ensure that the accused returns to court to stand trial.

After listening to the submissions of both prosecution and defence, the magistrate informed the father of three that he would be placed on $50,000 bail. The matter was transferred to Court One for November 18.