Former swimming champion Onan Orlando Thom was arraigned on charges of armed robbery, abduction and the use of threatening behaviour, when he appeared on Tuesday before acting Chief Magistrate Priya Sewnarine-Beharry at the Georgetown Magistrates’ Court.
Thom, 26, who once represented Guyana at the Olympics, has been remanded to prison until May 10.
It is alleged that on March 10, at Nottinghamshire, Upper Demerara, being armed with a weapon, Thom robbed Dexter Perez of a Toyota Corolla NZE motorcar, valued at $2.6M. It was also alleged that he made use of threatening behaviour to Perez.
Thom is also accused of abducting Kimane Sharma with intent to wrongfully confine her on the same day.
Police Corporal Venetta Pindar told the court that Thom, who knew Perez, approached him as he was about to park his car and demanded the keys. Thom was allegedly armed and Perez became afraid upon seeing the handgun and handed over the keys. It was then that the accused assaulted him and made good his escape in the vehicle.
The matter was reported but the accused was only arrested on April 21.
In the abduction matter, Pindar said, Thom entered the home of Sharma, armed with a gun and ordered her into the waiting vehicle. He then drove 20 to 25 minutes down the Ituni Public Road and then told her to jump out of the moving vehicle, which she did.
Attorney Gregory Gaskin stated that his client is not guilty of stealing the car nor is he guilty of abducting anyone. He further stated that his client only took Sharma away for an opportunity to talk to her about separating herself from the negative way of life other members of her family were living. Gaskin stated that Thom had simply collected the car from his cousin then picked up his other cousin and had a long talk with her.
