Sixteen-year-old among trio charged over seawall robbery

A 16-year-old is among three young men accused of a gun-point seawall hold-up in which a car was stolen.

The charge read against Romario Butler, 19, Compton Semple, 21, and the 16-year-old juvenile yesterday stated that on June 5, at the Georgetown seawall, being armed with a gun, they robbed Roy Vaux of a phone, valued $25,000, a ring valued $12,000 and $37,000, as well as a Toyota Spacio car, valued $2.5M and belonging to Keith Edwards.

They were not required to plead to the charge when it was read to them at the Georgetown Magistrates’ Courts, where Butler was arraigned separately, while Semple, 21, and the 16-year-old were jointly-charged.

Attorney Ronald Burch-Smith represented Butler, of 386 ‘B’ Field, Sophia and described the man as an upstanding citizen whose family was surprised at the charge against him.

Romario Butler
Romario Butler
Compton Semple
Compton Semple

Burch-Smith told the court that according to his instructions, his client had gone to the seawall on the day in question in the company of persons alleged to have committed the offence but he stated that he played no part in its commission.

He said Butler, who has no previous matters in court, posed no risk of flight.

But Prosecutor Michael Grant objected to Butler being granted bail, telling the court that the police are in possession of a statement from him confessing that he was involved in the commission of the offence.

After the magistrate was finished with the charge against Butler and informed him that he would be remanded to prison, it was then read to Semple.

Before reading the charge to the juvenile the magistrate enquired his age and held the proceedings in-camera after learning that he was a juvenile.

Butler and Semple were remanded to prison while the 16-year-old was remanded to a juvenile holding centre.

The matter will be called again on September 30.