An East La Penitence man accused of robbing two friends at the Promenade Gardens was remanded to prison when he appeared at the Georgetown Magistrates’ Court yesterday.
Vishal Ramlall, 30, appeared before Principal Magistrate Faith McGusty and insisted on pleading guilty to two armed robbery charges even as he claimed that he did not commit the acts. It is alleged that on August 16th at the Promenade Gardens, Georgetown, while armed with a knife, Ramlall robbed Yolanda Heckler of a cellphone, a purse and $5,000 cash, with a total value of $61,000. It is also alleged that on the same date and at the same location, while armed with a knife, Ramlall robbed Troy Sullivan of a cellphone and $7,500 cash, all totaling $97,000.
Ramlall, who was unrepresented by counsel, after pleading guilty, asked to give an explanation. He said that he is a fish cleaner at Meadow Bank Fisheries and was at the Promenade Gardens the following Saturday after the robberies would have happened.
“I was sitting under a tree waiting for my girlfriend who [was] getting her nails done when two men in plainclothes come up to me and tell me I being arrested,” he said. Ramlall said that when he arrived at the police station, he was told of the allegations that he robbed the persons. Ramlall said that he told the police to bring the complainants to identify if it was really him who robbed them. “I say they mix me up with somebody else,” he said.
Police Prosecutor Annalisa Brummell gave facts in the matter and informed the court that Ramlall was positively identified as the perpetrator. The virtual complainants were at the Promenade Gardens leaving when they were approached by the defendant and asked whether they had any money, the prosecutor said. Both indicated that they had no change and the defendant then reached into a bag he had on his back and pulled out a knife, Brummell said. Ramlall allegedly pointed the knife at Heckler and Sullivan and instructed them to lie on the ground. He then proceeded to remove the items from their possession.
Brummell said that Sullivan later contacted the guard stationed at the gardens and made a report. Contact was made with the police; a report was filed and the next day Ramlall was arrested. Nothing was recovered, the prosecutor related to the court.
The magistrate, after listening to both the defendant and the prosecutor, asked Ramlall whether he wanted to change his plea from guilty to not guilty. He responded, “If he say I rob he, then is that because me nah got no mother or father to bail me out. Is me alone.” Magistrate McGusty explained to Ramlall that she cannot send him to jail if he says he is innocent.
After asking Ramlall several times whether he was guilty or not and him responding that he is innocent but refusing to change his guilty plea, the magistrate remanded Ramlall to prison. She adjourned the matter to October 23rd.
