DPP appeals decision to free Republic Bank heist trio
The Director of Public Prosecutions has filed an appeal against the recent decision to free Gladston George, Anfernee Blackman and Shawn Grimmond, who were jointly charged for attempting to rob Republic Bank, Water Street, Georgetown.
On Saturday, a statement from the Guyana Police Force said that the DPP had written Crime Chief Wendell Blanhum on June 29, acknowledging receipt of the Police file and alluded to the fact that an appeal has already been filed in the said matter. George, Blackman and Grimmond were freed by Magistrate Leron Daly on June 22, four years after they attempted the armed robbery of Republic Bank.
Another former employee of the Bank, Jamal Haynes, was also slapped with charges of attempting to commit a robbery and illegal possession of a firearm and ammunition. He was sentenced to a total of six years in prison after he pleaded guilty to the charges at his first court appearance at the Georgetown Magistrates’ Courts in July 2017.
From left: Shawn Grimmond; Gladston George (white); Anfernee Blackman and Keron Saunders
During the attempted robbery, 23-year-old Elton Wray, an agronomist, was shot dead by the Police. He had been a beneficiary of a Government of Guyana scholarship to study in China, and had graduated with a degree in agronomy. At the time of his death, he was serving the second of his five-year obligatory contract.
Magistrate Daly upheld the defence’s no-case submission and ordered the men, except Saunders, to be freed. Saunders was told to lead a defence on July 14 when the matter is called again.
It was reported that Haynes and Grimmond knew that businesses would have deposited substantial amounts of cash into the chutes through night deposits. As such, a plan was hatched for the robbers to grab that money which would have been emptied into a canister by a female employee.
However, things went awry when their accomplices broke into the bank without knowing that they had received a text message from Grimmond who was already at work informing them to hold off since the employee who was supposed to open the canister was not at work.
After receiving reports of the robbery, Police responded promptly. The bandits engaged the officers in a shootout, which resulted in the death of Wray. Haynes was also shot as he attempted to evade the lawmen. Saunders subsequently surrendered and was taken into Police custody.
The others were all implicated in the robbery by Haynes and were later arrested. Police said that three high-powered pistols were recovered from the crime scene.
