Two men were remanded to prison yesterday on a charge of planning to commit a robbery on an Indian national.
Kevin Niles and Junior Solomon, charged with conspiracy to commit an armed robbery, were arrested by the police, who learned that the men were planning to commit the robbery sometime between January 24th and January 25th.
Prosecutor Michael Grant told city magistrate Fabayo Azore that the police went to a bar on Sheriff Street, where the two defendants were sitting. Grant said the men were waiting for someone identified only as “Tall Boy” to arrive. The prosecutor said upon checking a phone belonging to one of the two men, it was learnt that a message was sent discussing the robbery with ‘Tall Boy.’
According to Grant, the two men then took the police to Bel Air and pointed the house out. Added to that, he said the men confessed orally to the offence.
Grant, who objected to bail, said the men also gave false addresses, which misled the police and as a result their homes could not to be searched
Solomon’s lawyer, Patrice Henry, told the court his client had an unblemished record and raised questions about ‘Tall Boy.’ Henry said the text messages should have allowed the police to trace the individual but he seemed not to exist. He said the police had time and resources on their hand and if they wanted to have a stronger case against his client, a sting operation should have been set up to catch him while he was in the act.
Henry questioned how, with the robbery reportedly scheduled to be carried out at 3am, his client was at Sheriff Street since 9pm setting it up.
In relation to the alleged confession, Henry said his client was told that if he did not point out a house, his hands and testicles would be burnt off. The lawyer said any person would have probably showed the police a house if threatened with torture.
Henry told the court that there was no evidence against his client and the allegations were far-fetched.
Niles’ lawyer, Paul-Fung-A-Fat, said his client was held for more than 72 hours without charge by the police, which is unlawful.
Fung-A-Fat, who noted that his client was never charged before, said the prosecution had nothing that could substantiate an attempted robbery.
Despite the lawyers’ submissions, the men were remanded to prison until February 2nd.
