Three men were yesterday placed before the Georgetown Magistrate’s Court to answer to the charge of break and enter and larceny. One of the three men was also slapped with a narcotics charge.
It is alleged that between October 24 and 25 at Georgetown, Mark Washington, Sheldon Booker and Junior Vieira broke and entered the storage bond of Wholia Anderson and stole therein a quantity of electrical appliances and an iPod, all to the value of $585,000.
The jointly charged trio pleaded not guilty to the charge of break and enter and larceny when it was read to them by acting Chief Magistrate Priya Sewnarine-Beharry.
Meanwhile, on October 28, Booker is accused of having in his possession 20 grams of cannabis for the purpose of trafficking.
He pleaded not guilty to the charge of possession of narcotics for the purpose of trafficking when it was read to him by the acting chief magistrate.
In presenting the prosecution’s facts of the case, prosecutor Lionel Harvey told the court that between October 24 and 25 Anderson secured his premises and went out. Upon his return, however, Harvey said that Anderson realized that his property had been broken into and a quantity of items missing. The police were called in, and a search was conducted which later led to the arrest of the three men.
The prosecutor told the court that when Booker was arrested the missing iPod was found in his possession along with 20 grams of cannabis.
Attorney-at-law Ronald Burch-Smith who represented Washington told the court that his client is innocent of the charges for which he stands accused. Burch-Smith said that he did not wish to get into the details of the matter as it will be ventilated at the trial.
He then made an application for Washington to be admitted to reasonable bail on the grounds that he has no previous convictions, poses no risk of flight and has been cooperating with the police in their investigations.
Booker and Vieira were unrepresented by counsel.
Booker in his own defence to the two charges for which he has been accused told the court that he never broke into anyone’s property nor did he commit a theft.
“Ah din break in nobody property and I ain’t thief nothing either,” Booker asserted.
In relation to the narcotics charge, Booker said that he is innocent of that too and the police are being vindictive towards him.
He explained that he had always maintained his innocence when questioned by the police about the break and enter charge. This, he said, the police termed as being uncooperative. As a result, Booker said that the police told him that since he was not cooperating with the investigation, they were going to slap him with a narcotics charge.
“Dey want I accept something me ain’t do and I tell them no, duh is why deh put this narcotics charge on me,” Booker argued.
Booker said too that the iPod with which he was found upon his arrest was given to him by his sister.
The men were all placed on bail in the sum of $100,000 each.
Although granted bail for the break and enter charge, Booker was remanded to prison on the narcotics charge.
The three defendants were ordered to return to court on December 6, and the matters were transferred to Court Five.
