A man had two counts of armed robbery against him dismissed on Tuesday only to have the third stick as he was found guilty in a city court and sentencing adjourned pending a probation report.
The charges against Quason Roberts, 23, read that on October 18, at East La Penitence, Georgetown, being armed with a gun and in the company of others, he robbed Jermaine Knights of a Premio motor car, valued $2.8 million, belonging to Troy King. It is further alleged that at the same time, he robbed Knights of his cell phone, valued $50,000, and $43,000. Roberts was also accused of using the gun to rob Theresa Fredericks of a Samsung Galaxy cell phone, a quantity of cash and a purse, amounting to $66,000.
The matters were tried together before Magistrate Judy Latchman at the Georgetown Magistrates’ Court 3 where the two matters involving Knights were dismissed on Tuesday.
However, the defendant was called to lead a defence in the matter of armed robbery against Theresa Fredericks on Tuesday and he called his mother, Angus Roberts and girlfriend Candacy Thompson as his witnesses.
Roberts also spoke in his own defence: “My worship I don’t know anything about this robbery. When these people claimed they get rob I was at home. I self-employed, since the age of 15 and I have no ways or means of robbing anybody.
I was never picked out on no ID parade and no arrest warrant was out for me. I just don’t know of any robbery. I am a hardworking young man with my own lil business.”
When Roberts first appeared in court before Chief Magistrate Priya Sewnarine-Beharry, the police had stated that on the night in question Knights had journeyed to East La Penitence with Fredericks to pick up another passenger. While they sat in the car waiting for the other passenger to join them, Roberts, in the company of others, approached and held them at gun-point, the court was told.
After a report was made to the police, information received led to Roberts’ apprehension. He was subsequently positively identified by the complainants at an identification (ID) parade. The lawmen were, however, unable to apprehend the other persons implicated in the robbery.
Fredericks and Knights, the court heard, share a relationship. They were both present during the proceedings.
When Fredericks testified, she had told the court that the car was parked on a dam next to a traffic light located at East La Penitence and she had been waiting on Knights to return with someone. There was no street light but lights were coming from a vulcanizing shop located not far away. She went on to say that Roberts had approached her, and asked, “What happening shorty?” and she replied “Yes I ok.” She had told the court that he then demanded that she go down the dam but she refused.
She said the defendant then dealt her several cuffs to her face, entered the car and reversed.
She thought he was going to hit her with the car so she started to run away. However, moments later she saw Knights coming down the dam and they both left for the police station and then the hospital.
A medical report was presented to the court which stated that Fredericks suffered lacerations to her face.
Under cross-examination, Fredericks had maintained that she knew the defendant for about a year before the incident and on the night she was robbed she was able to see the defendant. She said he had been wearing a white t-shirt, blue jeans and a snap back hat and was at Mandela Avenue.
It was the testimony of Fredericks and Knights that the court placed more weight on. The defendant’s mother and girlfriend were deemed witnesses of convenience.
Having considered that Fredericks knew the defendant for one year before the alleged robbery, she was able to see him for about four minutes during that time and that she positively identified him, the court found him guilty.
March 16 was scheduled as the date for the probation report to be presented to the court and for sentencing.
