Two miners were yesterday charged with carrying out two gun-point robberies at Tamakay Backdam, in Region 7.
Andre McDonald, of 11-12 Triumph Public Road and Phillip Morgan, 25, of 44 Ravindra Street, Annandale, East Coast Demerara were remanded to prison by acting Chief Magistrate Priya Sewnarine-Beharry at the Georgetown Magistrates’ Court. However, based on complaints made by McDonald and Morgan, the magistrate ordered police to investigate the claims that they were beaten and relieved of cash during their interrogation. It is alleged that on December 23, at Tamakay Backdam, being armed with a gun, McDonald and Morgan robbed Alex Wagner Perez of one ounce and six pennyweights of raw gold and cash valued $335,000. On the same day at Tamakay Backdam, they are also alleged to have robbed Colin Noble of a quantity of raw gold and cash valued $168,000.
McDonald and Morgan denied the charges of robbery-under-arms when they were read to them.
Prosecutor Stephen Telford told the court that Perez and Noble were riding their motorcycles when in separate incidents they were stopped by the defendants. Telford said McDonald and Morgan tied up the complainants, took them to a nearby camp and relieved them of the items mentioned in the charge. The accused were allegedly armed with .38 revolvers and according to Telford, out of fear, the complainants handed over their belongings.
McDonald and Morgan were later arrested and charged with the offences and they both admitted committing the acts, Telford said.
However, the two accused told the court that they were wrongfully charged for an offence they knew “absolutely nothing about.” They also alleged that they were severely beaten and shot at by the police. McDonald told the magistrate that the police forced them to accept the charge after dealing them a sound licking. He said too that the money they had received from their employer to enjoy their Christmas was taken away by the police during the interrogation. He maintained that they were on their way out of the interior to celebrate Christmas with their families when they were taken into custody for the robberies.
The magistrate ordered Telford to launch an investigation into the men’s complainants. Meanwhile, Telford requested that both men be remanded to prison and noted that McDonald, while in custody, tried to escape.
He said there is a likelihood that they both may try to escape, in an attempt to evade trial.
McDonald told the court that while he did try to escape from police custody, it was for “valid reasons.” According to him, the police repeatedly threatened to kill them. As a result, he became fearful for his life and tried to run away.
Attorney George Thomas, who represented Morgan, made an application for his client to be admitted to reasonable bail on the grounds that he had no antecedents, posed no risk of flight, had a fixed address and had been cooperating with the police.
After listening to the case, the magistrate informed the men that they would be denied bail and the case was transferred to the Bartica Magistrates’ Court for January 3.
