…previously charged accomplice remanded
Raymond Rodrigues and Patrick Smith, previously remanded on two counts of armed robbery, were on Friday again before Georgetown Magistrate Leron Daly in connection with the same charges.
The duo had initially pleaded not guilty to either charge when those were read to them at their first appearance in May.
The 60-year-old Raymond Rodrigues, a father of eight who resides at Lot 6 River View, Ruimveldt Georgetown, has been placed on $200,000 bail. His attorney, in a bail application, told the court that Rodrigues is a taxi driver who, at time of the robbery, was on duty.
Conditions governing his being placed on bail are that he must report to the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) Headquarters every Monday until completion of the matter, and he has been ordered to lodge his passport and other travel documents with the Police.
His alleged accomplice, 47-year-old Patrick Smith of Albouystown, Georgetown, has been further remanded to prison, having previously been charged for offences of a similar nature.
Their matters have been adjourned until July 13, 2018.
RECAP
The Prosecution is contending that on May 9, 2018, at about 07:00h, the two men, armed with a gun, invaded a Princes Street, Georgetown property and relieved Bidinauth Sooklall of $500,000, one DVR, one mobile phone, two Seiko watches, and one laptop computer.
On the same day, according to the Prosecution’s contention, the two defendants robbed Giselle Ramos of three gold chains, one gold earring, one gold IPhone, and one suitcase of cosmetics. The value of the booty from both robberies has been estimated at close to $2 million.
The prosecution is alleging that the couple were in their bedroom when the two armed men confronted them at gunpoint, binding and robbing their victims before fleeing the scene. The perpetrators were, however, subsequently arrested, and positively identified by the victims during an identification parade.
