Man remanded for ambushing minibus at Agricola, robbing passengers

A man who is accused of robbing several persons including a teacher and a Police Constable while they were travelling in a minibus, was on Friday charged and remanded to prison after being slapped with six counts of robbery under arms.
Stanley Williams appeared before Senior Magistrate Leron Daly at the Georgetown Magistrates’ Courts.  He pleaded not guilty to the charges.
It is alleged that on December 22, 2021, at Brutus Street, Agricola, Greater Georgetown, while being in the company of others and armed with a gun, he robbed Kwesi Bethune, Delon Mendonca, Khyla Craig, Sharmela Thomas, Jamika Jeffery, Police Constable Leon David of the Ruimveldt Police Station and Rayon Shortt of several items including cash, cellular phones, and jewellery

Williams is accused of robbing Bethune of a gold chain valued at $1 million, a pair of gold earrings valued at $28,000 and other items; Mendonca of a brown wallet valued at $10,000 and other items; Craig of a gold and diamond finger ring valued at $150,000; Thomas of a shoulder bag valued at $15,000, and a Samsung Galaxy Note 8 valued at $120,000; Jeffery of a handbag valued at $5000, among other items; Constable David of cash and other items and Shortt of $10,000 in cash.
The Police prosecutor told the court that 44-year-old Bethune is a minibus driver of Kwakwani Park, Region 10 (Upper Demerara-Berbice). On the day in question, he was transporting the persons mentioned in the charge.
According to the facts, Bethune would normally work the Kwakwani, Berbice River to Georgetown route since persons would request him to transport them and their baggage. At around 12:00h on December 22, 2021, he commenced duties transporting the persons. He had to pick up Craig and her two children in Evan Phillips Park, Agricola.
After picking up the woman and her children, Bethune was heading back to Agricola Public Road when a silver Runnix motor car for which the registration number is unknown, stopped in front of the minibus at Brutus Street, Agricola.
As such, Bethune was unable to move further. Suddenly, Williams, who was riding a blue bicycle, allegedly rode up in front of the bus, dismounted the bicycle, and pulled out a gun from the waist of his pants.  He then reportedly held the passengers in the minibus at gunpoint. “Lie down hay or else I gonna shoot you,” he reportedly told them, while relieving them of their valuables.
Williams and his accomplices then made good their escape. The matter was subsequently reported and following an investigation, Williams was arrested and charged. The robbery accused was remanded to prison until March 25.
Police are hunting for the other suspects. (G1)