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Miner and driver remanded over car theft
Raoul Bharrat and Trevor Belle were both remanded to prison yesterday when they appeared before Magistrate Melissa Robertson, to answer charges of robbery under arms and unlawful wounding.
Raoul Bharrat
The charges read that on July 13, last, both men while armed, robbed Linden Harris of one Motorola cell phone, one Nokia cell phone, $9,200 in cash, and a motorcar valued at $1.5 M.
While Bharrat, of 32 North Sophia Squatting Area, pleaded not guilty to the charges, Belle of 14 B Field Sophia, entered a guilty plea with explanation.
Belle told the court that he knew nothing of any robbery and was only contracted by the persons involved to drive a car to Corentyne, Berbice for a fee of $10,000. He said that on arrival in Berbice, he collected his money, boarded a minibus and headed back to Georgetown.
Bharrat said that he was incarcerated wrongly by the police and was told that he had hired a motor car to an individual. He said that it was a case of mistaken identity, since the police were looking for a man with a damaged eye, like himself.
He lamented in court that he was never at the scene of the crime, and emphasised that he was previously freed in a similar court matter since the police were at that time also looking for a man with a damaged eye.
Linden Harris, a taxi driver, told the court that on the night of the incident, Bharrat hired him to go to Pike Street, Kitty and he obliged. He said that on arriving at this destination, Bharrat pushed a gun to his waist and shouted “Don’t f….ing move”.
Harris said that seconds later, he saw a man run to the car and jump into the back seat and was joined by two others shortly after.
The taxi driver said that Belle began driving the car as the other men who had pulled him into the back seat contemplated whether to shoot him or not since they felt he was ‘talking too much’.
According to Harris, the men drove close to the University of Guyana location and flung him in a trench nearby after stabbing him on the neck and right hand. He said although his right leg is amputated he managed to swim to safety and later contacted the police.
The Prosecution contended that it was Bharrat who hired Harris, while Belle and three others were in another car.
The Prosecution noted that there they robbed the taxi driver, stabbed him and threw him into the trench.
The police traced the stolen car which Belle had driven to Berbice and had left with relatives for safe keeping. The Prosecution objected to bail on the grounds that the accused will continue in the same trend.
The matter will continue on July 27. (Alex Wayne)
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