Liston Marcus, accused of robbing a man of a gold band worth more than half a million dollars, is claiming he was the victim of an unprovoked attack by a mob that accused him of being a thief.
But Marcus’ story is being challenged by police, who say he was among two armed men who robbed Kurt Brown and shot him during an ensuing scuffle on Tuesday night.
Appearing before Chief Magistrate Priya Sewnarine-Beharry at the Georgetown Magistrates’ Court One, Marcus, 19, pleaded not guilty to the armed robbery charged read against him.
According to Marcus, after he came home from work, his grandmother sent him to buy bread. He related that while he was out on the chore, he saw some men approaching. He said he was scared because he was unaware of why they would be pursuing him, so he ran into the John Fernandes Container House at Ruimveldt, where he was accosted. Marcus said that it was at this point that he was beaten and called a thief.
But the police’s facts, presented by Prosecutor Michael Grant, differed from Marcus’ account. According to Grant, on April 29th, Brown was liming with some friends in the Ruimveldt area when Marcus and an unknown man confronted him. They pointed a gun at his head and relived him of the gold band, the prosecutor said, before adding that a scuffle subsequently ensued between Marcus and Brown. During the fight, bullets were fired and Brown was hit on his wrist. During his attempt to escape, Marcus was, however, caught in the area and arrested.
Grant objected to bail on several grounds, including the fact that a gun and violence were used in the robbery as well as the prevalence of the offence. He also stated that the stolen item was not recovered.
As a result, Marcus was refused bail until May 23rd, when statements are to be filed.
