Cop unable to ID armed robbery suspect he arrested

A policeman who arrested two suspects following an October 2015 armed robbery, was on Friday unable to identify one of the accused when he testified before Magistrate Judy Latchman at the Georgetown Magistrate’s Court.

Three men—Kenton Vallet, Alfred Hescott and Darren Brown—have been charged with four counts of armed robbery. The charge states that during the month of October, 2015, they stole cellphones and other articles, from Kapil Harriprashad, property of Nishal Ramnarine, valuing millions of dollars.

Taking the stand, Detective Constable Joel Williams, stationed at the Ruimveldt Police Station, and attached to the Criminal Investigation Department (CID), stated that on October 24, 2015, while stationed at the Alberttown Police Station, attached to the CID, he received information of an alleged robbery in the Georgetown area and proceeded to the location in the company of another officer.

Williams said that on arrival at the location, he made contact with two men who identified themselves as Vallet and ‘Jero’ and he proceeded to search them. He said he discovered in the left side pants pocket of Vallet, a black phone without a battery and in his pants crotch a white cellphone without a battery.

According to the officer before he was able to search ‘Jero’ that individual handed over another cellphone.

He said he arrested the two men and escorted them to the Alberttown Police Station where they were processed and placed in the lockups.

The court heard that the phones were identified by Ramnarine, who presented to the police a list of phones that were stolen along with the identifying number of each of the phones.

When asked by Police Prosecutor Kerry Bostwick to identify Vallet, Williams was able to do so with ease but had a difficult time identifying ‘Jero’. Williams was asked several times by Bostwick if ‘Jero’ was present in the courtroom, to which he said yes and identified Vallet then changed his answer to no and finally, though still appearing confused, identified Darren Brown as being ‘Jero’.

Brown was asked by Magistrate Latchman to stand and to state his name for the court and he stood and said, “Darren Brown”.

Williams’s testimony was suspended after he told the court that prior to lodging the cellular phones he marked them with his initials (JW) and the year (2015).

The matter will be called again on April 29 when Williams is expected to continue his testimony.