Acting Chief Magistrate Melissa Robertson on Thursday granted a vendor, who allegedly used abusive language against a police constable, bail in the sum of $10,000 when he appeared before her at the Georgetown Magistrate’s Court.
Twenty-nine-year-old Lloyd Roberts of Continental Street, East Bank Demerara had pleaded not guilty to the charge of abusive language.
He denied that he made use of abusive language to Constable Patrick Peters on August 31 at Longden and Croal Street.
He stated that on the day in question he was operating a phone card stall, when Peters approached him with $500 and requested a phone card of that value.
He said that he had given Peters the card but Peters told him that he had mistakenly given him $600 and he wanted the $100 returned.
Roberts went on to say that Peters started arguing with him when he refused to give him any money.
He noted that when Peters had given him the money he had two $100 notes in his hand and a quantity of $1,000 notes under his arm.
He said that he even showed this to Peters but he declined to remove from his stall.
He said that he subsequently gave Peters back the $100 note to get rid of him but Peters then gave him $200 more for another card.
He said that Peters started to torment him again and even stood in front his stall and refused to remove to let other customers purchase their cards.
Roberts also noted that Peters after a while saw a mobile Police Patrol and told them about the incident.
He was then arrested and later charged for the offence.
However, Peters, who was also present in court, stated that on the day in question he had just disembarked a bus and had gone to Peter’s stall to buy a phone card. He said that he had mistakenly given Peters $600 and when he realized this he pulled the money back but Peters held on to it and told him that it was $500. He noted that Peters’ hands were empty when he approached the stall.
He said further that when Peters counted the money it was $600 but he told him it was $500. He said that Peters then became abusive to him. He said that he then took out another $100 note and gave it to Peters for another card but Peters continued to be abusive.
“He said I was trying to rob him and at the police station he said that he was a soldier and that police and soldier don’t agree with one another,” Peters noted.The magistrate subsequently placed Roberts on bail and ordered that he return to court on September 30.
