Melvor Jeffrey, the teen who was recently recaptured after escaping from police custody at the Georgetown Public Hospital, faced seven charges yesterday, including five counts of armed robbery.
Jeffrey, 18, of 120 Brutus Street, Agricola, East Bank Demerara, was arraigned twice —once before Chief Magistrate Ann McLennan on two counts of armed robbery and once before Magistrate Sunil Scarce on three counts of armed robbery and two counts of discharging a loaded weapon. He pleaded not guilty to all of the charges read to him.
The charges read by the Chief Magistrate stated that on January 3, at Tuschen, East Bank Essequibo, in the company of others and armed with a gun, Jeffrey robbed Latchmi Kumar of an Asus computer, four Blu cell phones, gold rings and $340,000 in cash, all amounting to a total of $521,000 in value; and that at Anna Catherina, West Coast Demerara, along with others and armed with a gun, he robbed Rafeek Ali of $40,000, which was the property of Sav’s Service Station.
Police Prosecutor Arvin Moore objected to bail, citing that the charges against Jeffrey are “serious.” The prosecutor argued that if Jeffrey was placed on bail, he would attempt to flee the jurisdiction. The court heard that Jeffrey has other pending matters in different courts as well other charges that were yet to be laid, including for escaping from lawful custody.
As a result, the Chief Magistrate remanded the accused until August 18, when the two matters will be called at the Leonora Magistrate’s Court.
Meanwhile, in Magistrate Scarce’s court, it was alleged that on May 24, at Peter’s Hall Housing Scheme, East Bank Demerara, Jeffrey, together with others, and armed with a gun, committed three robberies. It was alleged that he robbed Alexis Pollard of gold jewellery and two cell phones, representing a total value of $245,000; Akash Seepersaud of a gold wedding band, worth $140,000; and Anrajanie Seepersaud, of several pieces of gold and silver jewellery, amounting to $210,000.
The court also heard that, on July 5, at Grove East Bank Demerara, Jeffrey allegedly discharged a loaded firearm at Alex Sinclair, with intent to maim, disfigure, disable or cause grievous bodily harm. A second charge was that he also allegedly discharged a loaded firearm at Desmond Phillips, with intent to maim, disfigure, disable or cause grievous bodily harm, on May 24, at Peter’s Hall.
Jeffrey, when asked by Magistrate Scarce, if he had any other pending matters in court, said he had been charged at the Leonora Magistrate’s Court, and placed on bail.
Police Prosecutor Adoni Inniss informed the court that Jeffrey could have been sentenced in absentia for the pending matters at Leonora since he was not attending his hearings.
Jeffrey later told the court that he was not attending those hearings because of the distance and his lack of transportation.
Magistrate Scarce then remanded him to prison, giving his reason as the fact that he may not show up to his hearings in Georgetown as well. Jeffrey was remanded to prison until August 16.
