Acting Chief Magistrate Priya Sewnarine-Beharry remanded to prison a 23-year-old man who after disembarking a minibus allegedly snatched a gold chain from another passenger.
The Georgetown Magistrates’ Court heard that Lennox Wayne, of lot 1308 Diamond New Housing Scheme, East Bank Demerara, on January 10, at Georgetown, allegedly stole from the person of Richlin Springer, a gold chain valued $23,000. He denied the charge of larceny from the person when it was read to him.
In presenting the facts of the case, Police Sergeant Lionel Harvey told the court that on the said day, Wayne, who was a passenger in the route 44 minibus, requested that the driver stop so that he could disembark. On exiting the vehicle, the defendant walked to the rear of the vehicle where the virtual complainant (VC) was seated in the back seat at a window, and allegedly snatched the chain from around her neck. The prosecutor further said that Wayne made good his escape but was later apprehended by a mobile police patrol in the area at the time of the incident. The chain was found in the defendant’s pocket.
His attorney, Mohamed Zafar, asked the court to grant his client reasonable bail on the grounds that he poses no risk of flight and that he would be willing to lodge his passport with the police.
However, the prosecutor objected to bail, contending that the defendant has had previous matters before the court for which he has appeared under a different name.
When given a chance to speak, the tearful Springer asked the court to return the piece of jewellery to her as it was given from someone who is now deceased. She then said that the court could deal with the accused as it wished as long as her property was returned to her. “He look me in me face and snatch me chain; and de police find he with it in he hand when he get arrest, so me ain know wah going on now and why he saying he ain do it,” a visibly angry Springer said.
The magistrate then told Springer that according to constitutional principles a trial has to be conducted before the matter is determined. “There is no short-cut to that process,” she asserted, stressing that an accused person is presumed innocent until proven guilty.
The magistrate then remanded Wayne and ordered him to appear in Court Six for reports and fixtures for trial on January 17.
