An Alberttown resident who allegedly attempted to force a man into his car and then shot at him when he refused to comply, yesterday appeared in the Georgetown Magistrate’s Court charged with discharging a loaded firearm.
Ryan Pemberton, 32, of Lot 135 Albert Street, Alberttown was not required to plead to the indictable charge when he appeared before Magistrate Hazel Octive Hamilton and was remanded to prison.
It is alleged that on October 4 with intent to maim, disfigure, disable or cause grievous bodily harm, Pemberton discharged a loaded firearm at Odinga Stuart.
Last Wednesday Stuart was charged in connection with this very matter. He appeared before Principal Magistrate Melissa Robertson-Ogle accused of giving wrong information to a policewoman at the East Ruimveldt Police Station.
He denied the allegation and was released on $25,000 bail.
His lawyer Adrian Smith said that a policeman and two civilians were after his client. He said that a shot was fired and a spent shell was indeed recovered. Smith argued that his client was probably charged because police were investigating one of their own.
Police Prosecutor Sherwin Matthews had told the court that Stuart changed his story during the confrontation and that was why he was charged.
Matthews told the court that Stuart said the three people he had pointed out to the police were not involved.
In yesterday’s proceedings, Pemberton was represented by attorney-at-law James Bond. In his bail application, he told the court that the virtual complainant had indicated to the police that it was not his client who discharged the firearm but it was a policeman whom he recognized that shot at him.
According to Bond, his client has no previous convictions and he then requested reasonable bail.
However, Police Prosecutor Shellon Daniels objected to bail and said that the policeman was driving Pemberton’s car and went to where Stuart was and they ordered him into the car. She said that he did not comply and it was then that a shot was fired.
According to Daniels, the policeman was attached to Impact Base and was under close arrest because he refused to give a statement in the matter.
The magistrate refused bail and adjourned the matter to November 23.