A fisherman accused of robbing a woman at gunpoint was yesterday admitted to self-bail after his attorney produced proof to the court that he was not identified as the perpetrator of the crime when placed on an ID parade.
The allegation against Bonnie Allicock is that on December 10, 2011, being armed with a gun, he robbed Nekesha James of one shoulder bag, a quantity of money, documents and other items totalling $168,600.
The lot 21 La Penitence Boulevard resident denied the charge of robbery under arms when it was read to him by acting Chief Magistrate Priya Sewnarine-Beharry at the Georgetown Magistrates’ Court before whom he first appeared.
After hearing the case, the magistrate informed the accused that he would be admitted to bail in the sum of $250,000 after which she transferred his matter to Court Two for report and fixture for trial yesterday morning, moments after she had dealt with it.
When the accused appeared before Magistrate Sueanna Lovell who presides in Court Two, however, she granted him self-bail after his attorney Patrice Henry produced to the court a document which stated that he was placed on an identification (ID) parade but was not picked out as the perpetrator by the virtual complainant (VC).
When he appeared before Magistrate Sewnarine-Beharry, the accused told the court that his lawyer was on his way with the document to show that he was indeed placed on an ID parade but was not identified as the perpetrator by the VC.
The matter, however, had been dealt with by Magistrate Sewnarine-Beharry before the lawyer arrived.
Subsequently, his submissions regarding the ID parade document were made before Magistrate Lovell.
According to Allicock, he was being victimized and wrongfully accused of an offence he knew nothing of.
Police Sergeant Lionel Harvey who prosecutes in the court where the acting Chief Magistrate presides had related earlier that on the day in question, the VC was walking along the road when the accused and another person drove up behind her and relieved her of the items stated in the charge.
According to Harvey, the defendant exited the vehicle, held the VC at gunpoint and snatched the bag she was carrying, which contained the other items all totalling $168,600 and then they made good their escape.
