Taxi driver, Owin Boston appeared yesterday at the Georgetown Magistrate’s Court before Acting Chief Magistrate Faith McGusty charged with robbery.
Boston pleaded not guilty to the charge.
It is alleged that on Sunday, February 16, at Hope Street, South Cummingsburg, Georgetown, while in the company of others, Boston robbed Gloria Benn of one handbag valued $5,000, a smartphone valued $40,000, and $30,000 cash.
Boston’s defence attorney, Dominic Bess, in an application for bail, stated that his client is 24-years-old with a fixed placed of abode with no pending matters or prior convictions. Further, according to his client, on the day of the incident, Boston was operating a taxi and picked up two men who were not known to him that had flagged his car down. Bess iterated that there was no evidence to implicate his client other than his car being in the area and requested his client be placed on reasonable bail.
The prosecutor interjected, stating his objection to bail citing the nature and seriousness of the offence and the penalty it attracts, along with the fact that CCTV footage of the entire incident exists. He also stated that the complainant was walking when a black station wagon driven by the accused pulled up on her and shortly after, two men who were hiding behind a truck relieved her of her belongings and made their escape in the vehicle. Additionally the prosecution pointed out that the accused’s vehicle was present prior to the incident.
Attorney-at-law Bess responded to the prosecutor’s objections by noting that the offence his client is being accused of committing is a bailable offence, and that there was nothing to suggest that his client had anything to do with the robbery.
At this point the prosecutor acknowledged the court will have to decide if the video of the incident implicates the accused, but disclosed that the video was not presently available.
The defence counsel in turn repeated his argument that there was no prior evidence to suggest that his client had any involvement with the robbery.
Magistrate McGusty then asked Bess what the odds were of someone snatching a bag and flagging down a car, adding that she was very interested in seeing the video and asked for it to be available by next Wednesday.
Bail was refused and Boston remains in custody.
The matter was adjourned to February 26.
