Bus driver charged over BlackBerry robbery

A 34-year-old bus driver who allegedly dealt a man several slaps to his face while he was robbing him of a BlackBerry cellular phone was yesterday placed on $75,000 bail after he appeared before acting Chief Magistrate Priya Sewnarine-Beharry at the Georgetown Magistrates’ Court.

According to the particulars of the charge, on December 5 at Georgetown, Rawle Crum Ewing of Lot 3474 North Ruimveldt used personal violence against Julian Johnson as he robbed him of a BlackBerry Torch cellular phone valued $175,000. The man pleaded not guilty when the charge was read to him.

Attorney-at-law Adrian Thomas made a successful application for reasonable bail for his client. He stressed to the court, however, that the VC is making up the allegation because he owes his client a sum of money and does not want to repay his debt.

In presenting the police case to the court Prosecutor Lionel Harvey said that the VC and accused are known to each other. On the day of the incident the VC was proceeding east along Aubrey Barker Road when the defendant who was driving a bus stopped the vehicle and approached the defendant and dealt him several slaps before he demanded the phone. The prosecutor also told the court that the accused sprayed a substance into the VC’s eyes.