The Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) Shalimar Ali-Hack has filed an appeal against the decision of City Magistrate Leron Daly to free three of the accused in the 2017 Republic Bank robbery on Water Street.
Those freed were Shawn Grimmond, 27, of 137 Pike Street, Kitty; police constable Gladstone George, 28, of Lot 55 Princes Street, Lodge and rural constable Anfernee Blackman, 25, of 65 Laing Avenue, West Ruimveldt.
Magistrate Daly, who presided over the matter at the Georgetown Magistrate’s Court on June 22nd upheld a no-case submission made by the accused’s attorneys.
However, Police in a statement on Saturday night said that the DPP had informed Crime Chief Wendell Blanhum that an appeal has been filed. The decision to appeal comes after Ali-Hack requested the police case file.
George, Blackman and Grimond were jointly charged with attempting to commit a felony to wit robbery under arms on Republic Bank.
The men had all pleaded not guilty to the charge which stated that on July 4, 2017 while being armed with guns, they attempted to rob Republic Bank’s Water Street Branch.
The magistrate stated that the prosecution had failed to make a case against the three men. However, she said that co-accused Keron Saunders, 28, of 59 Burnham Boulevard, Mocha will have to lead a defence on July 14th, after a case was made out against him.
In 2017, former Republic Bank employee Jamal Haynes had pleaded guilty to charges stemming from the attempted robbery of the bank’s Water Street branch that ended in a fatal shootout and was sentenced to six years in jail.
The suspected mastermind of the botched heist, Elton Wray, also known as ‘Peas’, 25, of Eccles, East Bank Demerara, was fatally shot while trying to flee the bank after the shootout ensued.
