The trial into a robbery committed on Sherry-Ann Hope allegedly by Colwyn Harding commenced yesterday before Magistrate Judy Latchman at the Georgetown Magistrates’ Court.
Inspector Phillip Bowman was the only witness present to testify when the matter was called.
The remaining seven witnesses, including the virtual complainant, were all absent.
Harding and his attorney Nigel Hughes were also absent from yesterday’s hearing.
Bowman attested to putting the allegation to the defendant which he said he denied. He then spoke of later arresting and charging Harding after holding confrontations between him and Hope.
The court also heard from the witness that on the day in question, the accused, armed with a cutlass, exited a white car in front of Ashmin’s building on Hadfield Street, approached Hope, and dealt her several chops about her body before relieving her of $30,000 and a quantity of cell phones.
Prosecutor Shellon Daniels made an unsuccessful application for Hope’s medical certificate to be tendered as an exhibit as evidence in the matter, because it was not signed by a doctor.
Magistrate Latchman stated further that after examining the certificate, it was observed that it hadn’t a doctor’s signature.
She noted too that while the alleged offence occurred on July 9, 2014, the certificate indicated that the medical was not done until September 19, 2014.
For those reasons, the court ruled that the medical certificate will not be admitted as evidence.
At the conclusion of Bowman’s testimony, the court ordered that the remaining witnesses be summoned and granted an adjournment to January 20 for continuation of the trial.
Harding had denied the charge when it was read to him by Chief Magistrate Priya Sewnarine Beharry at his arraignment on July 17 last.
Hughes had argued that the defence was in possession of alibi statements which had been handed over to the police, substantiating that his client was elsewhere at the time of the alleged robbery.
Magistrate Sewnarine-Beharry had overruled the prosecution’s objections and granted the defendant bail in the sum of $75,000.
In November 2013, Harding accused a police constable of pushing a condom-covered baton up his anus and later physically assaulting him.
Two police constables accused of assaulting him, but not with a baton, were placed on bail on June 2 last year after denying the charges.
Devin Singh and Roslyn Tilbury-Douglas appeared before the Chief Magistrate charged with assaulting Harding sometime between November 1 and November 13, 2013 at the Timehri Police Station.
Singh was placed on $200,000 bail while Tilbury-Douglas was placed on $100,000 bail.
That matter is currently before Magistrate Leron Daly at the Providence Magistrate’s Court.
