A young man was yesterday remanded to prison after being arraigned on a carjacking charge in a city court, which heard that he was mentally unstable.
The charge against Tiffon Peters, 22, is that on September 24, at Georgetown, he stole a Toyota Hilux motor vehicle valued $3.5 million belonging to Raul Archer.
But when Magistrate Judy Latchman asked Peters his name, he stood in the prisoners’ dock staring in the distance and offered no response.
Before his matter was called, a policeman was forced to hold on to Peters,
who was attempting to scale the dock and tried opening it to leave the courtroom.
The presiding magistrate asked Peters why he would not respond and whether anything was the problem. It was at this point that a young man, who was seated in the public gallery, identified himself as Peters’s brother and informed the court that he was mentally unstable and is a patient of “Dr Harry.”
The young man showed the court a number of documents and tablets which he said were his brother’s medical records and medication.
The accused was unrepresented by counsel and it was his brother who gave the court his age as 22 and his address as 664 East Ruimveldt.
The court heard from Prosecutor Kerry Bostwick that Archer had parked his vehicle and exited to make a purchase at a shop and upon his return he saw the accused in the driver’s seat reversing.
Bostwick added that Archer attempted to stop Peters but he managed to drive away. He said that Archer was subsequently picked up by another vehicle and gave chase and caught up with the accused at a traffic light.
He said that Peters exited the vehicle and attempted to escape but was apprehended and later handed over to the police.
Magistrate Latchman informed Peters that he would be remanded to prison until September 29, when his case will be called again before Chief Magistrate Priya Sewnarine-Beharry.
