Two men who were separately charged for robbing employees of Edward Beharry Company in Linden appeared before Magistrate Suanna Lovell at the Christianburg Magistrates’ Court on Tuesday and Wednesday respectively.
Eon Ward, aka ‘Killa’, 19-years-old, was remanded to prison on Tuesday after pleading not guilty to three charges brought against him. It was alleged that the accused robbed Carlos Brown of two cell phones on October 14 at Co-op Crescent, Mackenzie, while on the said day at Big Red Store, One Mile Wismar, Linden, he robbed Richard Alves and Michael Pooran of $1,056,950 cash. The cash was the property of Edward B. Beharry Company Ltd.
The third charge against Ward states that on June 20 at Burnham Drive, Wismar, Linden, while armed with a gun, he robbed Veronica Fonttanelle of $489,797 cash and a quantity of cheques valued $73,000, totaling $562,797, property of the Linden Utility Services Co-op Society Limited. He was denied bail for this charge on the ground that he was likely to tamper with the witness.
High-speed chase
‘Killa’ was arrested by police in Linden after a high-speed chase through the streets of Mackenzie last Friday night along with the driver and two females, aged 16 and 19 years who were in the car at the time. The 16-year-old has since been released into the custody of her parents but the fate of the 19-year-old is unknown since up to Monday evening she was still in police custody and did not appear in court on Tuesday or Wednesday in Linden.
Attorney-at-law Gordon Gilhuys appeared in court yesterday on Ward’s behalf and sought the court’s permission to request reasonable bail in his absence. Gilhuys made the request on the grounds that his client was not a flight risk because he had no passport, that police at Linden were trying to make their statistics look good, and were trying to “clean up” considering that the Christmas season is approaching. The lawyer also noted that his client was not charged jointly with another man who was before the court for the offence committed on the Edward B. Beharry Company Limited employees.
Police Prosecutor C. Williams objected to the bail application on the grounds that Ward was a wanted man who has been evading police for some time now and the address given cannot be wholly relied upon. His address was given as 1409 Central Amelia’s Ward, being the home of his stepmother. The prosecutor also pointed out the severity of the charges and that he was a known character in the community who has had several brushes with the law. Ward is to return to court on November 2 for reports on both charges.
A second person, Sherwin Barton, was charged for the robbery under arms of Alves and Pooran from whom $1,056,950 cash was taken, being the property of Edward B. Beharry Company Ltd. Barton, 47-years-old, of 13 Rainbow City, Mackenzie, Linden appeared before Magistrate Lovell at the Christianburg Magistrates’ Court on Wednesday.
Barton pleaded not guilty to the charge. Attorney-at-law Gilhuys who appeared on his behalf also in applying for bail told the court that his client has been in police custody since October 14 and was placed on an identification parade and he firmly believes he was mistakenly identified. He said that his client had no previous encounter with the law and because he does not own a passport was not a flight risk.
Prosecutor Williams objected to the bail application because of the seriousness of the charge, the amount that was stolen, the fact that he was positively identified in an identification parade and because he was likely to tamper with the witness.
He was granted bail in the sum of $200,000 and is to return to court on November 2 for report and fixture. He was ordered by the court to report to the Mackenzie Police Station every Friday at 9:00hrs until the conclusion of the matter.
The driver of the car who was allegedly held hostage by Ward, 23-year-old Dennis Benjamin of Lot 32 South Amelia’s Ward, Linden, also appeared before Magistrate Lovell on Tuesday facing two traffic charges. He was charged with dangerous driving and failure to conform to a no-entry sign.
At the time Benjamin was driving motor car PMM 5963 in a manner dangerous to the public. The court was told that the man was hired by Ward who upon seeing police placed an object to his side and ordered him to drive. He pleaded not guilty to the two offences.
On the charge of dangerous driving he was placed on $20,000 bail and for failure to conform to a no-entry sign he was placed on $10,000 bail. He is to return to court on December 6 for report and fixture.
