The accused in an armed hold-up at a gas station, in which two persons were robbed and over $500,000 in cash and other valuables were stolen, was yesterday remanded to prison.
It is alleged that on May 22, at Vreed-en-Hoop, West Coast Demerara, miner Kerwin Haywood, 27, being armed with a gun, robbed Nandram Ramnauth of $500,000 belonging to Razan Hussein and a cell phone valued $4,000 and $16,000 cash. It is further alleged that he also robbed Krishna Persaud of a Nokia cell phone, valued $5,000 and $5,700 cash.
Haywood, of Lot 7 Ogle Street, Beterverwagting, denied both charges when they were read to him by Chief Magistrate Priya Sewnarine-Beharry, before whom he appeared in Georgetown yesterday.
Prosecutor Michael Grant said Ramnauth is employed by Hussein at a Shell Gas Station, located on the West Coast Demerara, where the robbery took place.
According to Grant, on the day in question, Ramnauth was checking off the day’s sales while Persaud, a customer, was at the gas station transacting business.
The court heard that it was during this time that Haywood approached the men, held them both at gun-point and then proceeded to rob them before making good his escape. The robbery was subsequently reported to the police and according to Grant an investigation led to Haywood’s positive identification by the complainants and his subsequent arrest.
Grant objected to the granting of bail, citing the nature, gravity and prevalence of the offence. He added that given the penalty which the offence attracts, there is a likelihood that Haywood would not return to court to stand trial if released.
In his bail application, however, attorney Clive Forde challenged the claim that his client was positively identified by the complainants. He asserted that it was the police who conducted the parade and told the complainants to pinpoint his client as the person who robbed them. He added that his client has no antecedents nor pending matters before the courts.
In his response to counsel’s claims, however, Prosecutor Grant explained that no one told the complainants who to point out at the parade and he said he did not know where Forde got his facts from.
Haywood was subsequently remanded and the case was transferred to the Vreed-en-Hoop Magistrate’s Court for October 30.
