Policeman appears in court over stolen car

Jan 20, 2009 News

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Car was pawned then sold, number plates changed and windows tinted

 

Three persons appeared in the Georgetown Magistrates Court yesterday to answer charges ranging from robbery under arms to receiving stolen property.
The charges stemmed from a stolen car in which Randy Charles, a member of the Guyana Police Force, was found.
The three charged were identified as Randy Charles, who is stationed at the Tactical Service Unit; Regan Williams, a taxi driver; and Jamal Van-Lewis.
Charles and Williams appeared before acting Chief Magistrate Melissa Robertson to answer a charge of receiving stolen property. Van-Lewis, the other accused, of 46 Bel Air Park, while armed with a gun, allegedly robbed George Boyce of one motor car valued at $2.1M, among other items, on December 20 last.
Van Lewis, called “Deportee,” was not required to plead, since the charge is an indictable one, when he appeared before Magistrate Hazel Octive-Hamilton in another court.
According to his lawyer, Nigel Hughes, it was “a clear case of mistaken identity”. The lawyer further told the court that “Van-Lewis has no police mention,” and the only evidence that the police have is the identification parade which the owner attended. According to Hughes, the owner was probably enthusiastic and picked out his client. The lawyer relentlessly insisted that Boyce made a significant error and, after realizing what he had done, went to the police to inform them of what had taken place.
Hughes explained that, “The VC went back two days later  to the East La Penitence Police Outpost and told the ranks that this was not the young man who had robbed him of his motor vehicle,” and gave the police a “sworn statement” to that effect. 
The lawyer contended that, in those circumstances, bail should be admitted to his client at a reasonable sum.
However, police prosecutor Desire Fowler objected to bail on the grounds that the court must look at the quantum that was stolen. The prosecutor further stated that the accused sold the car to Regan Williams, who in turn sold it to Randy Charles.
Fowler said that she was totally unaware of why Boyce went back to the police after the ID parade. Nigel Hughes, at this point, interjected and told the court that it “is clear that if the VC stated that Van Lewis was not the person who robbed him, the case would have no legal merit”.
Bail was nevertheless refused by Magistrate Octive-Hamilton, who in turn requested that the file be sent back to the Director of Public Prosecutions for further advice.
She said that, in the interest of justice, the file should be sent back to the DPP for further advice because of the withdrawal of identification by the virtual complainant.
The other two defendants — Charles, 24, of Field D1 South Turkeyen, and Regan Williams, of 71 Robert Road, Plaisance — were charged for receiving stolen property. It was alleged that the two defendants received one stolen motor car on December 30, 2008, property of George Boyce, at Plaisance. They both pleaded not guilty.
According to attorney James Bond, who appeared for Charles, his client is a serving member of the Guyana Police Force, stationed at the Tactical Services Unit. The lawyer further told the court that his client had “legitimately rented the car from Williams”. The lawyer added that Charles was totally unaware that the car was stolen.
The other defendant, Williams, was represented by attorney-at-law Adrian Thompson, who in a bail application asked that bail be granted in a reasonable sum, adding that the defendant was a taxi driver with four minors.
At the request of the presiding magistrate, George Boyce said that there was visible damage to his vehicle. The man said that on Tuesday last he saw Charles driving the vehicle and summoned the police.
According to police prosecutor Denise Griffith, the car was seen with new number plates and the windows were tinted. After the virtual complainant realised that it was his car, he immediately contacted the police.
The prosecutor explained that someone had pawned the vehicle to Williams, who then loaned it to Charles, who in turn changed the features of the vehicle.
The prosecution did not object to bail, but asked that it be set at a substantial amount. Bail was granted in the sum of $200,000, and the defendants are expected to return to court on January 30.
Reports were that on December 20 last, the driver of the car, HB6085, George Boyce, was working with a city taxi service when he received a call to make a pickup at the corner of Campbell Street and Stone Avenue.
According to him, while in the vicinity of Cane View Avenue, the man whipped out a handgun and ordered him out of the car. “He put a gun to my head and tell me to get out.”
According to Boyce, he complied, and after the man drove the car away, he went to the East La Penitence Police Station, where he made a report that his silver grey AT 212 car was hijacked.

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