The Guyana Defence Force (GDF) Lance Corporal and two men who allegedly robbed a 55-year-old man at his Lima, Essequibo home last Monday, were yesterday remanded to prison when they appeared before Magistrate Faith McGusty at the Wakenaam Magistrate’s Court on several charges.
According to a police press release Lance Corporal Oslin Phillips, 25, of Aurora, Essequibo Coast, was yesterday charged with attempting to escape from lawful custody, resisting arrest, assaulting a peace officer and entering a dwelling house in the night with intent to commit a felony.
Junior Paul, 27, of Johanna Cecilia, Essequibo Coast, was charged with entering a dwelling house in the night with intent to commit a felony.
Carlos Petrie, 18, of Maria’s Lodge, Essequibo Coast, was charged with unlawful possession of a firearm, unlawful possession of ammunition, and entering a dwelling house in the night with intent to commit a felony.
The police in a release on Monday had said that vendor Clairmonte Scott was at home at his Lima, Essequibo Coast home with his front door open when three armed men — two masked while the other wore a toque — entered.
According to the police, the men tied up the 55-year-old Scott and took him outside. An alarm was raised by a relative inside the house and when neighbours responded the men escaped.
A report was then made to the Anna Regina Police Station and subsequently, a mobile police patrol observed three men walking along the Reliance Public Road. “Upon the approach of the police the men scattered in different directions. However, the police managed to catch one of them,” the release said.
This man was subsequently identified by the victim as the assailant who was wearing the toque and it was later found that he was Lance Corporal Phillips; the toque was found in his pocket.
“Later, ranks of the mobile police patrol challenged two men who were walking along the Columbia Public Road and who attempted to escape on seeing the police but were arrested,” police had said. One of the men was seen hiding an object near to a fence which was found to be a black jersey, inside of which was an unlicensed .32 revolver with four live rounds and a toque mask.