After being cleared of a burglary, Dennis Downer could not stop dancing. Downer, one of three men accused of stealing electronics from Baxani’s Trading Store on Water Street during a break-in, danced his way out of the prisoners’ dock and into the chute as he was being escorted out of the courtroom at the Georgetown Magistrates’ Courts complex.
Magistrate Fabayo Azore yesterday freed Downer, Joshua Meredith, and Dellon Halley, who later gave praise to God after hearing that they were found not guilty of committing the crime.
Relatives and the Pastor of the jointly-charged trio also expressed satisfaction at the ruling; and so did their attorney, Adrian Thompson.
“You wait on me downstairs pastor. I’m coming,” Downer begged his pastor, who was in the courtroom at the time of the ruling.
In handing down her decision, Magistrate Azore noted that there were no eyewitnesses to the offence and that while the men could have been charged with receiving stolen articles, no such items were found in their possession.
In the circumstances, the magistrate informed the men that the court would uphold their attorney’s no-case submission and that the charge would be dismissed.
The charge against the men was that between March 26 and 27, 2014, at Georgetown they broke and entered the store of Harish Baxani and stole a quantity of flat screen television sets, one microwave and a speaker box, all totaling $251,400.
The men had denied the charge at their first arraignment before Chief Magistrate Priya Sewnarine-Beharry on March 31.
They were each admitted to bail in the sum of $125,000; however, Downer was the only one who remained incarcerated as he was unable to post the bail.
The prosecution’s case was that on March 26, at about 5 pm, Baxani secured his store and went home. He was contacted at about 3.30 am on March 27 by an employee attached to the MMC security firm and was informed that some men were in his store removing items.
The police were then informed and based on information received, ranks on a mobile patrol later observed the defendants close to a yellow car. Upon seeing the police, the men ran into a nearby building and were pursued by the lawmen and were apprehended with several of the flat screen television sets in the said building.
They were then told of the allegation, cautioned and arrested. The complainant identified the televisions as being his. The items were lodged and further investigations led to the men being arrested and charged.
Six witnesses were called to testify during the trial.
