Accused arsonist remanded for setting vulcanising shop, houses on fire

An alleged arsonist was on Wednesday remanded to prison on charges which stated that he set fire to several properties at D’Urban and George Streets, Georgetown.
Calvin Lawrence, 22, of Lot 101 Leopold Street, Werk-en-Rust, Georgetown was taken before Chief Magistrate Ann McLennan.
The first charge stated that on June 24, 2021, at Lot 1 George Street, Werk-en-Rust, he unlawfully and maliciously set fire to a dwelling house valued $18 million, containing articles valued at $6 million, property of Collin Bentley.

It was further alleged that on the same day at the said location, he unlawfully and maliciously set fire to a dwelling house owned by Nalini Baboolall and valued $38 million, which contained articles valued $16 million belonging to Kevin Phillips. It is also alleged that on June 24, 2021, at Lot 1 George Street, Werk-en-Rust, he unlawfully and maliciously set fire to a dwelling house valued $250 million, containing articles worth $30 million, property of Hardat Maniram.
The defendant was not required to plead to the charges. The case continues on July 21 at the Georgetown Magistrates’ Courts. The Police Prosecutor related that Baboolall is the owner of the property at Lot 1 George and D’Urban Street, Werk-en-Rust, which once housed a wooden two-storey building.

Meanwhile, Maniram owns the four-storey building which housed the Elegance Jewellery and Pawn Shop. That building is located east of Baboolall’s property. Phillips rented Baboolall’s property. The ground floor housed his vulcanising shop, while he and his family and Venezuelan migrants lived on the upper flat.
According to the Prosecutor, around 01:00h on June 24, Phillips said he was awakened by the incessant barking of his dogs. Upon checking through the vent of the windows, Phillips saw two men running from his premises, the Prosecutor said. Soon after, Phillips heard his neighbour screaming fire.
Following Police’s investigations, Lawrence was arrested.
The Prosecutor disclosed that the defendant was arrested after Phillips identified him and another man called “Vishal” from Closed Circuit Television (CCTV) footage obtained from Elegance Jewellery and Pawn Shop. Phillips told the Police that Lawrence and “Vishal” were regular visitors at his vulcanising shop.
“We tried to contain the fire, but we couldn’t do that…We tried to save something, but we didn’t get to, since everything is just burnt. We sell electrical bikes, and all of them were destroyed. We also have people who had their bikes in the shop, and those were destroyed,” Phillips had told reporters shortly after the blaze. (G1)