Latest update April 20th, 2024 12:59 AM
Apr 14, 2016 Court Stories, Features / Columnists, News
Two witnesses testified on behalf of Premnauth Samaroo when the trial of the five men accused of robbing Land Court Judge, Nicola Pierre, continued in the Sparendaam Magistrate’s Court.
Samaroo, Anthony David, Warren Mc Kenzie, Damien Millington and Nicholas Narine are jointly facing three charges, two for the offence of Robbery under Arms committed on Pierre and her husband, Mohamed Chand, and another for the offence of discharging a loaded firearm at security guard, Ron Peters.
They have all pleaded not guilty to the charges. They are currently on remand.
Christopher Rogers of 1894 North Ruimveldt, Georgetown and Brandon Dickson of 1805 Hummingbird Street, Festival City were the witnesses that testified before Magistrate Zamilla Ally-Seepaul.
First to take the stand yesterday was Rogers, who told the court that on the night of July 8, 2015 he and Samaroo were playing Nintendo games by his friend, Isaiah, in Festival City, North Ruimveldt.
A while later, the witness said that he received a call from his friends (Dickson) who requested that he come to Agriculture Road to pick him up from his girlfriend’s home.
Rogers said that Kelvin De Peazer and Samaroo, whom he saw for the first time at the home asked to come along for the ride in a car he had borrowed from his brother-in-law.
“While I was heading up to the East Coast, the car started to gave a bumping…like it losing power. About two to three occasion the car giving a bumping sound like it want to shut down,” Roger recalled. He stated that they picked up Kelvin through Agriculture Road and headed back to Georgetown. Rogers said that the car eventually shut down at Plaisance, East Coast Demerara.
The witness recounted that he and his companions made several attempts to have the car towed. He said that he even called his mechanic to come and fix the vehicle but it was to no avail. He recollected that they pushed the car over Plaisance line top to his aunt’s home in the same village and parked it.
While at his aunt’s residence, Rogers said that they heard a loud noise.
“…And we thinking that it was gunshots. We end up leaving the car by my aunt and walk out back to Plaisance line top to take a car.”
According to the witness, he and the three other men walked out to the Sparendaam Police Station after they were unable to get a car to take them back to the city.
Roger’s told the court, “And then we saw an officer come out of Sparendaam Station and call me and Kelvin De Peazer…the officer gunpoint we, search we and took me and Kelvin Depeazer in the station.”
He added that the officer went back out and brought Daniel and Samaroo into the station. There he said, they were questioned as to why they were on the road around 1:00am and 2:00am on July 9, 2015.
Rogers testified that a CID plainclothes police walked up to him and “box” him and asked him why they went and shoot up at some lady house. The witness informed the court that he told the officer he had no knowledge about what he was speaking about.
He recalled that he was kept in custody for four days during which he was placed on three identifications parades at the Cove and John Police Station, East Coast Demerara. During that time he also said that police visited his aunt’s home and searched the car for guns but found nothing before towing the vehicle to the station.
Cross Examined
During cross examination by Special Prosecutor Nigel Hughes, Rogers admitted that it was the first time he had gone to Agriculture Road. When questioned by the Prosecutor as to how he was able to locate the home of Roger’s girlfriend, the witness stated that Dickson told him via phone to locate a bus shed which was couple houses from the girl’s residence.
Prosecutor Hughes told the witness that it would have been difficult for him to locate the young woman’s home given that it was the first time he was visiting the location and asked him if he was told to look for any landmarks. In response, Rogers said that he could not recall since the incident occurred over 10 months ago.
The witness explained to the Prosecutor that he had been borrowing the vehicle for about five months and would usually go out to parties with his friends. He went on to say that it was the first time the vehicle had given him mechanical problems.
Rogers made it clear to the prosecutor on numerous occasions that he suspected that no one wanted to assist with towing the car because it was four men on the road that hour. He added that they flagged down several vehicles at Better Hope for assistance but got no help with moving the vehicle. He testified that they had no other alternative but to push the vehicle to Plaisance.
When asked certain questions by the Prosecutor, the witness started to get defensive. He began volunteering responses to unasked questions.
He was however, warned by the Magistrate to stop “back talking” and also advised by the Prosecutor to only provide answers to the questions being asked.
When the Prosecutor suggested to Rogers that he had told the court a fabricated story, he replied “That is not a fabrication”
When called on to testify, Brandon Dickson told the court a similar story. However, he testified that he was kept in custody for about a week and placed on about four identification parades. During cross examination, Dickson denied that his crew and another crew “went on this wuk”, a suggestion put to him by Hughes.
Both witnesses admitted that they were arrested by police before and had to provide them with alibis. Samaroo’s Attorney, Adrian Thompson re-examined Rogers but declined to question Dickson.
This trial has been adjourned until April 21.
Where is the BETTER MANAGEMENT/RENEGOTIATION OF THE OIL CONTRACTS you promised Jagdeo?
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