Attempted murder accused remanded on armed robbery charge

Twenty-nine-year-old Curtis Vasconcellos, who is awaiting trial at the High Court for attempted murder, was on Wednesday arraigned on a charge of robbery-under-arms, and has been remanded to prison.

This resident of First Street, Agricola, Greater Georgetown was arraigned before Principal Magistrate Judy Latchman at the Diamond/Golden Grove Magistrates’ Courts, where he pleaded not guilty to the charge which alleges that on October 2, at Herstelling, East Bank Demerara, while armed with a dangerous weapon, he robbed a 50-year-old woman of a cellular phone valued at $37,000 and of $25,000 in cash. The virtual complainant resides at Mahaica, East Coast Demerara (ECD). Previously charged with robbery-under-arms,
Vasconcellos has been remanded until November 4.
In September 2016, he and Orwyn Peters were committed to stand trial at the High Court in Demerara for attempted murder committed on Neezam Khan. The charge against the duo states that on June 6, 2015, at Grove, East Bank Demerara, they discharged a loaded firearm at Khan with intent to commit murder. They were released on bail, pending trial.
According to reports, Khan, a businessman, and several of his colleagues were outside his snackette at Grove, EBD when four men, including Vasconcellos and Peters, rode up beside them on motorcycles. Media reports are that one of the men held Khan at gunpoint and relieved him of jewellery, cash, and other items, before shooting him in the left arm.
But before the bandits could escape, Khan opened fire on them, killing their accomplice, Michael Grant of Agricola. It was reported that Vasconcellos, injured during the shootout, had attempted to get away, but was later found lying a short distance from the scene.