Mark Prince, who was allegedly shot by the would-be victim when he and others invaded a Bel Air Park home last November, was yesterday charged with armed robbery.
Prince, 36, of 169 James and Curtis Streets, was read a charge which stated that on November 23, at Bel Air Park, while being in the company of others and armed with a gun, he robbed Nicholas Coates of a cellphone, valued $50,000.
Prince pleaded not guilty to the charge. The prosecution related that the case file was incomplete but objected to bail being granted to the accused due to the seriousness of the crime and the penalty it attracts. It was noted that the victim was shot during the robbery. It was stated also that Prince has matters of a similar nature pending before the court.
As a result, city magistrate Fabayo Azore refused bail to Prince and adjourned the matter to January 28 for report.
Coates, of Eping Avenue, Bel Air Park, saw his home invaded by five bandits.
On the night of the attack, Coates had been sitting on his verandah when he heard noises coming from downstairs. After several minutes, he saw five bandits rush through the open door and he immediately tried to run to his bedroom but was shot to his knee in the process.
Despite being shot, he managed to enter his bedroom and bar his door with his foot while the bandits searched the living room.
Coates located his licensed firearm and opened fire on the men, hitting one of them. They subsequently escaped with one of Coates’s phones.
Last week, Stabroek News was told that a suspect had been arrested and was assisting police with investigations. A second suspect, a nurse, was arrested last Wednesday. She is believed to be the one who treated the first suspect after he was shot during the attack.
