A man who allegedly robbed two persons at gunpoint of a quantity of cash and other items was remanded to prison yesterday when he appeared before Magistrate Hazel Octive-Hamilton at the Georgetown Magistrate’s Court.
Twenty-eight-year-old Ryan Couchman of Diamond Housing Scheme, East Bank Demerara was not required to plead to two indictable counts of robbery under arms.
It is alleged that on July 9 at Thomas Street, Couchman used a gun to rob Assif Bacchus of a quantity of Guyana and US currency and a cell phone, all to the value of $473,000.
It is also alleged that on the same day and place, Couchman used a gun to rob Jovia Rahaman of $1.7M.
However, Couchman’s lawyer, Mishcka Puran stated that prior to Couchman’s arrest in July, he had been taken into police custody on the same allegations about robbing Bacchus and Rahaman but he was subsequently placed on $20,000 station bail and released. Puran said that since then Couchman had been reporting regularly to the Brickdam Police Station but he was instructed by the police that he did not have to report anymore. She noted that Couchman was given back his $20,000 station bail.
Puran also stated that some time after Couchman was arrested he was placed on an identification parade but was not picked out by either of the complainants.
Puran also told the court that Couchman was taken to the Criminal Investigation Department, Eve Leary, where he was beaten by a sergeant and a constable, whom he named, to confess to the robberies. She said that he was beaten especially about the head and was subsequently taken to the Georgetown Public Hospital where he was admitted and treated. She said that an x-ray was conducted on Couchman’s head which showed that he had suffered from blunt trauma.
She stated that “when someone is arrested there must be reasonable suspicion and the charge must be instituted on reasonable evidence,” but none of that was present. Puran then asked that the court order an inquiry into Couchman’s beating. The defence attorney subsequently applied for reasonable bail.
Prosecutor Desiree Fowler alleged that on the day in question, Couchman and another man went into a business place to sell gold but instead robbed Bacchus and Rahaman of their cash and valuables. Fowler said that based on investigations, Couchman was subsequently arrested. She objected to Couchman’s bail application on the grounds of the seriousness and prevalence of the offences and stated that she was not aware of any ID parade being conducted with Couchman nor was she aware of the alleged beating that he had suffered at the hands of the police.
The magistrate subsequently ordered that Couchman be remanded to prison and that he appear back in court on December 10.