Twenty-four-year-old Christopher Welch of Lot 2442 Soufriere Street, North Ruimveldt was yesterday remanded to prison by Chief Magistrate Ann McLennan after he was charged with breaking into a home and stealing a quantity of items which amounting to $332,000.
The charge against Welch states that on September 29th at Lot 2441 Soufriere Street, North Ruimveldt, Georgetown, he broke and entered the dwelling house of Ashley Hinds and Jackalette Bacchus and stole one Samsung Note 9 cellphone valued at $150,000, a Guess handbag worth $30,000, one perfume worth $15,000, a wallet worth $12,000, a pair of sunglasses worth $5,000 and $120,000 in cash. Welch pleaded not guilty to the charge and was remanded to prison. He is expected to return to court on October 31st.
According to the facts heard in court, Welch and the two virtual complainants are known to each other and would usually see each other in the neighbourhood. On the day in question, at about 01:00hrs, Hinds and Bacchus secured their home and retired to bed. Sometime after, the two complainants were awakened by their house alarm. Upon exiting his bedroom to investigate, Hinds saw his veranda door being pulled opened. He immediately recognized Welch who also holding a firearm in his hand. After seeing the suspect with the weapon, Hinds quickly returned to his bedroom, locking its door, and proceeded to raise an alarm to Bacchus and neighbours surrounding his home.
After a few minutes, the complainant exited the room where he noticed that the suspect had fled. Hinds then carried out a search in his house and discovered that the aforementioned articles were missing. Hinds reported the matter to the Police, who acting on information received, at about 17:00hrs on the said date, arrested Welch. The complainant’s cellular phone was allegedly found in the defendant’s pocket.
In the court yesterday, Welch denied the Prosecutor’s statement about the phone being found in his pocket, saying, “now I know ‘bout this…they didn’t find no phone in me pocket.”
