Acting Chief Magistrate Melissa Robertson yesterday placed a teenage boy on a two-year bond to keep the peace while she ordered that another be kept in police custody when they appeared before her at the Georgetown Magistrate’s Court accused of robbing two school children of cell phones, among other items, in separate incidents.
Eighteen-year-old Ralph Stuart also called ‘Son-Son’ of West La Penitence pleaded not guilty to the charge of robbery with aggravation while Devon Ledderman, 17, of Pike Street, Kitty, pleaded guilty to a similar charge.
Stuart denied that he, along with someone else, robbed Dwayne Forde of a cell phone valued $62,000 on September 4.
Ledderman admitted that he, along with other persons, robbed Latoya Baggot of a cell phone, a school bag, several school books and other items, totalling $18,230 on September 2.
However, Peter Hugh, who represented Stuart, stated that on the day in question his client was towing a friend when the said friend saw Forde and disembarked the bike.
He said that the friend and Forde got into a fight and during the altercation the friend stole the phone and fled the area.
The lawyer then applied for bail for his client on the grounds that he had no previous convictions and he had no pending matters in the court.
Hugh also stated that his client was willing to recompense Forde for the phone.
A relative of Stuart then gave Forde’s father, who was present in court, the sum of $32,500.
Forde’s father then stated he did not wish to continue with the matter.
He noted that his son was in school.
The magistrate then placed Stuart on a bond to keep the peace for two years while she ordered that Ledderman be remanded to prison and that he appear back in court on Friday.
