Court refuses bail for accused in violent Water St chain snatching

A vendor accused of using violence to rob a woman of her gold chain was yesterday denied bail and remanded to prison.

Police allege that Wayne Griffith approached Bibi Khan as she was walking along Water Street and robbed her of her $180,000 gold chain. It is alleged that he dealt her several cuffs during the attack.

Griffith, 26, of Lot 110, Tucville, Georgetown, pleaded not guilty to the robbery with violence charge when he appeared before Chief Magistrate Priya Sewnarine-Beharry at the Georgetown Magistrates’ Court.

Police Prosecutor Corporal Bharrat Mangru said Griffith was arrested and positively identified by Khan as the person who had mugged her, but Griffith’s lawyer, Paul Fung-a-Fat, told the court that after Khan was robbed, she reported the matter to the police. As a result, the police, he said, were looking for a man with plaited hair in the vicinity of the area where Khan was robbed.  He said his client was the only plaited hair male amongst nine others placed on identification parade and he was picked out of the line-up by Khan.

Mangru, who suggested that Griffith would not return if released, objected to bail. As a result, bail was denied and he was remanded to prison until September 13.