A man arraigned on charges of robbery and attempted murder was yesterday admitted to bail in the sum of $300,000 when he appeared before acting Chief Magistrate Priya Sewnarine-Beharry at the Georgetown Magistrates’ Court.
The allegation is that on June 10, 2009 at Georgetown, Alph Garraway of 71 Norton Street, being armed with a gun, robbed Christopher McLean of $40,000.
On the same day also, Garraway is alleged to have wounded McLean with intent to commit murder.
The 30-year-old taxi driver was not required to answer to the indictable charges of robbery under arms and attempted murder when they were read to him by the acting chief magistrate.
Prosecutor Lionel Harvey told the court that on the day in question the accused robbed the virtual complainant of $40,000 but was met with resistance from McLean whom he shot in the neck in the process.
Attorney-at-law Adrian Thompson who represented the accused in association with attorneys Ronald Burch-Smith and Mark Waldron told the court that their client was never placed on an identification parade (ID) nor was he ever singled out by the complainant as the perpetrator.
According to Thompson, the charges for which his client stands accused were trumped up.
The lawyers then made an application that their client be admitted to reasonable bail on the grounds that he has no antecedents, poses no risk of flight, has a fixed address and has been cooperating with the police in their investigations.
The prosecution objected to the bail application advanced by the attorneys, contending that Garraway may possibly flee the jurisdiction and not return to stand trial.
The VC was not at court.
The lawyers were successful in securing bail for their client. Garraway was granted his pretrial liberty to the tune of $300,000 and his matter was transferred to Court Two for October 18.