Chief Magistrate Ann McLennan on Monday remanded a 26-year-old miner to prison when he appeared before her in the Georgetown Magistrates’ Courts slapped with four charges.
Erwin Ridley of Lot 173 Campbell Street, Albouystown, Georgetown, denied all four charges – two of which are for assaulting police officers – when they were read to him.
According to the prosecution’s case, on March 12, 2019, while he was in the vicinity of Campbell and Sussex Streets, Albouystown, he wounded Police Corporal Clive Clerk in an effort to evade apprehension. It is alleged that on the same day at the same location, Ridley assaulted another peace officer, Nigel Reid, while he was resisting arrest from the officer.
Ridley was also arraigned on two counts of robbery under arms charges, which stated that the father of one allegedly robbed Savita Ramlakhan of items valued $24,000 while he was in the company of another and also armed with a gun in the vicinity of Albert Street, Albouystown.
The prosecution is also contending that Ridley also robbed Ramlakhan’s husband, Akesh Ramlakhan, of his pedal cycle, valued $18,000 on the same day at the said location.
In court on Monday, Police Prosecutor Gordon Mansfield opposed bail on the grounds of the serious nature of the allegations. Prosecutor Mansfield informed the court that the defendant was previously convicted for robbery under arms prior to the present charges.
Ridley told the Chief Magistrate that the matter was not properly investigated and that he was innocent of the charges that were instituted against him.
“Madam is this police (identified officer who was in court) tell de husband to point me out, I ain’t do nothing, they trying fuh frame me I tell yuh. They aint even do ah propa ID parade and they want frame me.”
The Chief Magistrate, nevertheless, upheld the prosecution’s submission and remanded the man to prison for the robbery under arms charges.
However, he was released on self-bail for the assault charges committed on the peace officers. The cases will continue on March 25, 2019.
