Nathaniel Martin, a 22-year-old resident of Middle Road, La Penitence, Georgetown,
is alleged to have robbed Richard Balchan of a Samsung Galaxy phone valued at $35,000 and of cash valued at $5,000 in an incident that occurred at Brickdam, Georgetown on January 26, 2024 while Martin was in the company of others.
Appearing without legal representation on Monday before Magistrate Clive Nurse in that Georgetown magistrate’s court, Martin denied the accusation, and asserted that he was not the robber, but had seen another person robbing Balchan.
Robbery accused Nathaniel Martin
That person, he said, had “pushed” Balchan against a bus, and had taken away his phone and cash before making good his escape on foot. And despite him telling the Police what he had seen, Martin claimed, he was nonetheless detained and charged.
The Police prosecutor, however, strongly objected to Martin’s release on bail, pointing out that the virtual complainant had positively identified him, and that the offence is a grave one. Moreover, the prosecutor said, the stolen phone was recovered.
Accordingly, Martin was remanded to prison, and is expected to make his next court appearance on February 27. (G1)
