A hire car driver of Linden was yesterday refused bail when he appeared in a city court charged with stealing over $7M worth of items.
Dellon Cumberbatch, 28, of 240 South Amelia’s Ward, Linden, denied the charges which were read by Chief Magistrate Priya Sewnarine-Beharry.
Between August 12 and August 14, 2014, Cumberbatch allegedly broke and entered the home of Veronica Haley and stealing a total of $290,000 worth in items.
Additionally, between September 28 and October 13, 2014, Cumberbatch allegedly broke and entered the home of Leonard Jennings and stole $4,464,000 worth in valuables.
Also, between January 10 and January 16, 2015, Cumberbatch allegedly broke and entered the dwelling house of Joseph Rose and stole a quantity of articles valuing $640,000.
It is also alleged that between January 19 and January 30, 2015, he broke and entered the house of Lester Bourne and stole a quantity of items amounting to $1,010,000. During this time, he is also alleged to have broken into Bourne’s storeroom and carted off a quantity of items valued $29,000.
Furthermore, between January 19 and January 30, 2015, the accused allegedly broke and entered the home of Nikesha Fiedtkou and stole a quantity of valuables, totalling $229,000.
It is further alleged that between January 25 and February 1, 2015, the accused broke and entered the house of Royston Leon and stole $479 000 in items, and also that between January 28 and February 10, 2015, at South Amelia’s Ward, Linden, he broke and entered the dwelling house of Don Phillips and stole $195,000 in items.
Attorney Gordon Gilhuys, who represented Cumberbatch, told the court that his client is a taxi driver and he operates in Linden and was never in hiding as was claimed by the prosecution yesterday.
He stated that the police came and broke and entered his client’s house and took away articles which were never shown to him. The attorney further argued that the police did not satisfy the court that it was the defendant who stole those articles. “They just decide that they will clear up a set of crime and they brought him to court,” Gilhuys stated, while he pleaded with the magistrate to be lenient in considering bail for his client, who is willing to submit to any condition required by the court to ensure he returns for trial.
But Prosecutor Michael Grant objected to bail. He stated that over $2M worth of articles were recovered with the assistance of Cumberbatch.
Grant also told the court that after the police made numerous visits to Cumberbatch’s home and he could not be found, officers had no choice but to force their entry into the home, while the articles which were recovered were shown to Cumberbatch at the police outpost.
In addition, he noted that two other men were arrested for the same offence and they gave information which identified Cumberbatch. Another man, Leroy Nedd, was charged last week with the same crimes.
After perusing the statements, the magistrate refused to grant bail and Cumberbatch was remanded to prison until February 25, when he will appear again at the Linden Magistrate’s Court.
