The trial of the two men charged with corruptly obtaining cash from Stabroek News photographer Keno George for his stolen camera started yesterday.
Jevon Patterson, 25, and Romel Buttery, 26, are on trial for corruptly obtaining $50,000 from George for helping him to recover his camera, which was stolen, on October 19.
Testifying before Chief Magistrate Ann McLennan in Georgetown, George recounted the robbery of October 5, 2016, when he and three other friends were attacked in D’Urban Backlands. He said that he was robbed of his Cannon camera, valued at $400,000, and two Cannon Lens, which were valued at $600,000.
George told the court that on October 19, 2016, he received a call, after which he went to the junction of Camp and Robb streets, where he met two persons. He told the court that as he approached the men, he noticed that one of them, Patterson, had his camera bag in his hand. He said that he walked up to Patterson and asked him if he was the person who had called him and the defendant acknowledged that it was him.
George explained to the court that he was given a chance to examine his belongings to make sure that they were his. He said when he was satisfied that the items belonged to him, Patterson asked him for the money. George said that he gave $50,000 to Patterson, who asked the location of the rest of the money. The photographer said that he explained to Patterson that was all the money he had on him and he would receive the rest when he got paid.
The photographer told the court that on October 25, 2016, he went to the East La Penitence Police Station and informed a Sergeant Williams of what had transpired between him and the two accused. George said that he gave the Sergeant a full description of the men and the location they had planned to meet up later at so that he could have handed them the rest of the money. The complainant said that later on that day he contacted Patterson to make arrangements for the meeting and then the police to inform them of the meeting. George said that the second time he saw the men was at the East La Penitence Police Station, where he pointed them out to Williams, as the men he gave his money to.
Attorney Paul Fung-A-Fat, who represented Patterson and Buttery, crossed-examined George. Under cross-examination, the photographer said the two accused were not the persons who had robbed him of his articles on October 5. He explained that Patterson was the only one he spoke to, but noted that Buttery was with the accused at the time. Fung-A-Fat asked George if he gave the men the reward money, and he told the lawyer that the money he gave the men was not reward money. The lawyer maintained that his clients never took the money from George, but instead he gave them the money willingly.
Also taking the stand yesterday was Sergeant Jomo Williams, who testified that he questioned the two accused on the incident. Williams said that he recovered one of George’s camera lens from Patterson. He explained that George later identified the lens as his at the police station
The trial continues on February 1.
