Unemployed man remanded over robbery of GNBS employee

A 22-year-old man charged with robbing a Guyana National Bureau of Standards (GNBS) Inspector has been remanded to prison.
Chris Charles, a 22-year-old unemployed man of Lot 34 Friendship, East Bank Demerara (EBD), appeared earlier this week at the Diamond/Golden Grove Magistrates’ Courts. He is charged with robbery under arms contrary to Section 222 (c) of the Criminal Law (Offences) Act, Chapter 8:01.
It is alleged that on August 11, at Friendship School Street, while armed with a dangerous weapon, he robbed the 22-year-old complainant of a haversack valued at $7000, $15,000 in cash, a Republic Bank card, and a Samsung Galaxy S10 E smartphone valued at $75,000.
Presiding Magistrate Judy Latchman refused bail for the accused, who pleaded not guilty to the charge and remanded him to prison until September 28.
Meanwhile, on Tuesday, a man whose alleged accomplice was shot dead after they committed a robbery at King Street, Georgetown, was remanded to prison. Appearing before Chief Magistrate (ag), Sherdel Isaacs-Marcus was 19-year-old Randy Smart, of Lot 240 South Road, Lacytown, Georgetown.
On August 11, at King Street, Georgetown, while being in the company of another, the teenager is accused of robbing Chandradat Mangru of a Samsung cellular phone valued at $80,000.
The court heard that Mangru was sent by his employer, the Ministry of Legal Affairs and Attorney General’s Chambers to a Cambio on King Street to change foreign currency. Accompanying him in a State-owned vehicle was a Policeman attached to the Presidential Guard.
When he finished the transaction, Mangru exited the Cambio and started to walk toward the vehicle when Smart’s accused accomplice approached him and snatched his phone.
He then jumped onto the motorcycle Smart was riding, and together, they rode north along King Street. The Policeman who was with Mangru chased after the fleeing men and caught up with them in the vicinity of North Road and King Street, where he fired several shots in their direction.
Abednego Trotman, a 25-year-old of Tiger Bay, Georgetown, was fatally shot. Smart was subsequently taken into custody after he lost his balance and fell onto the road.
In objecting to bail for Smart, the prosecutor cited the serious nature and prevalence of the offence. Police have since described the now dead man as a “known character”. Smart will return to court on September 13 to collect statements.