Two men were on Monday remanded to prison after being charged with the larceny of a gold chain, valued $300,000.
Jason Lawrence and Jonathan Soodoo both pleaded not guilty to the charge when they were arraigned in the Georgetown Magistrate’s Court before Chief Magistrate Priya Sewnarine-Beharry.
It was alleged that on May 31, at Georgetown, they stole the chain from the person of Odetta Greene.
Prosecutor Vernette Pindar told the court that on the day in question, at around 4.30pm, the complainant was walking along Pike Street, Kitty when she was allegedly accosted from behind by Lawrence, who relieved her of the chain. Pindar said that after snatching the chain, Lawrence ran in a southern direction before escaping on a waiting motorcycle, which Soodoo was riding.
The prosecutor also said that police on mobile patrol in the area witnessed the incident and later gave chase, which ended at Soodoo’s home. A search of the premises by the police unearthed the stolen item therein.
Lawrence, a 20-year old joiner of Lot 7, Broad Street, Charlestown was represented by attorney-at-law Paul Fung-a-Fat. Soodoo, 26, a horse-cart operator of Hill Street, Albouystown, was unrepresented but like Lawrence requested bail.
Fung-a-Fat, who sought bail for Lawrence, told the court that the virtual complainant was walking east when the chain was snatched from behind and the alleged accused ran south, so that at all times she would have been seeing his back.
Counsel said that his client was never placed on an ID parade nor was any confession statement taken from him. He also said that that the alleged stolen item was never found on Lawrence’s person but rather in Soodoo’s house.
The prosecutor objected to bail for both defendants, stating that apart from the likelihood of them interfering with the complainant, Soodoo has two pending matters before the court.
Bail was subsequently denied and the two men were remanded to prison until June 7.
