An alleged knife-wielding bandit was yesterday granted $120,000 bail by Magistrate Clive Nurse after he pleaded not guilty to robbing another man of one Samsung cellular phone valued at $50,000 and $100,000 in cash.
Godfrey Cox , 24, was charged with the offence of armed robbery. It was alleged that on May 8, 2024, at George Street, Werk-en-Rust, Cox, while armed with a knife, robbed Leon Nero of the phone and cash.
The prosecution objected to bail being granted, citing the nature and gravity of the offence. The court was informed that Cox has a history of being charged with similar offences as recently as December of last year. The court also heard that he had previously served a sentence of four years and two months. The prosecution asked the court to consider not only his prior history but also the weapon used in committing the crime.
The magistrate asked Cox why he should be granted bail. Cox told the court that when he was imprisoned, he was taken advantage of since he is homosexual, and the stigma attached caused him to be victimized. The magistrate decided to grant Cox bail in the sum of $120,000, as the prosecution was unable to file statements in the matter.
In November of last year, Cox appeared before Chief Magistrate (acting) Sherdel Isaacs-Marcus for an offence of a similar nature, where he was refused bail and sent to prison. His next court appearance will be on June 10, 2024, for statements and fixture.
