Motorcycle theft case dismissed; accused a no-show in court

…currently on remand for another similar theft

A case involving 23-year-old Shawn Inniss was dismissed on Friday by Chief Magistrate Faith McGusty at the Georgetown Magistrate’s Court after the virtual complainant indicated that he no longer wished to proceed and only wanted his motorcycle returned.

However, Inniss was notably absent from the courtroom for that hearing. His attorney, Gwendolyn Bristol, informed the court that her client was unable to attend because he had been remanded to the Lusignan Prison in connection with a separate motorcycle theft case.
Bristol said she learned of his detention after speaking with family members, who relayed that Inniss’ mother confirmed his remand.
Magistrate McGusty, in response, expressed concern that Inniss had again found himself before the courts on a similar charge, despite still being tied to an earlier matter that was only now being dismissed.
The now dismissed motorcycle theft charge stems from an alleged incident on March 20 at Robb Street, Georgetown, where Inniss is accused of stealing a motorcycle valued at $450,000 belonging to Anvesh Bathani.
Inniss had appeared in court earlier in the week and pleaded not guilty.
During that hearing, his attorney said Inniss had previously worked at the business where the motorcycle was taken. She also noted that Inniss’ mother reported her son suffers from mental instability and frequently smokes marijuana; factors which may have led him to believe he was still employed there.
It was reportedly his mother who contacted police after noticing the stolen motorcycle at their home. This led to his arrest and subsequent charge.
The prosecution had opposed bail, stating that Inniss attempted to alter the motorcycle’s appearance by spray-painting it black in an effort to disguise it.
In his defence, Inniss told the court he took the motorcycle to his mother’s house for safekeeping, fearing that individuals he had past conflicts with would steal it from the area. He claimed he had done so previously while working at the location.
The virtual complainant in the recent case told the court he would accept compensation if the motorcycle was repaired and repainted, but was unable to estimate the cost of those repairs at the time. It is alleged that the virtual complainant was compensated.
This is not Inniss’ first brush with the law. In 2019, he was remanded along with two others for the alleged robbery of two cell phones on Camp Street, during which the victim was reportedly assaulted. They were positively identified and denied bail at the time.
It remains unclear under what circumstances Inniss was released from prison following that earlier charge.