Two men were remanded to prison on Monday by Magistrate Judy Latchman, after they were charged with breaking and entering popular hangout The Garage twice, carting off over $1.7M in items in the process.
Jointly charged are Shemroy Gomes, Guy Meryl and Raymond Skeete, who are alleged to have broken into the restaurant and bar owned by Estwick Northe on December 17, 2012, and to have stolen a generator, a microwave, a blender, a quantity of chowmein and a number of other items valued at $500,000 in total.
The other charge against the men is that on January 18, they again broke and entered the business place and stole three flat screen televisions, a DVR recorder along with a number of other items, valued at $1,220,000.
Gomes, 32, and Meryl, 47, pleaded not guilty to both charges when they were read to them. Skeete was not present in court.
Gomes’ attorney told the court that his client posed no risk of flight since he had an address at 59 BB Eccles, East Bank Demerara and had no pending or previous matters before the court and had been assisting the police with investigations.
He stated that his client owns a vehicle which he privately rents and on the day in question he was driving along Sheriff Street in his vehicle when two persons stopped him and asked him for a drop. He said that his client recognised the individuals from Albouystown and took them and the alleged stolen articles to a house in Albouystown.
Counsel further told the court that when the police came to his client and told him that he was involved in a crime and related the facts of the matter to him, he took the officers to the house where he dropped off the two men.
Meryl, who was unrepresented by counsel, informed the court that he resides at Albouystown and that he is a caretaker.
Police prosecutor Vishnu Hunt objected to bail due to the seriousness of the offences. The presiding magistrate remanded Gomes and Meryl to prison and ordered that Skeete be summoned to attend court.
The matters will be called again on February 22, in Court 10.
