Latest update April 17th, 2025 9:50 AM
Trio charged for hijacking businessman’s car granted bail
…amidst allegations of police brutality
Adrian Bishop
The three men accused of hijacking a businessman’s car on Sunday night at Cross Street, Alexander Village, Georgetown, was granted $100,000 bail each when they appeared in court yesterday.
Adrian Bishop, a 28-year-old mechanic of Lot 66 Garnett Street, Newtown, Kitty; Devon Forde, a 27-year-old gold smith of Lot 54 Duncan Street, Campbellville and Junior Nurse, a 23-year-old labourer of Lot 23 James Street, Albouystown appeared before Magistrate Judy Latchman at the Georgetown Magistrates’ Court to face an indictable Robbery with Aggravation charge.
It is alleged that on Sunday (August 31), the trio robbed Ramanand Jagdeo of one gold chain, three gold rings, one vacuum cleaner and compressor, one Blu cellular phone, a quantity of goods and $317,000 cash. The items are valued at $1,754,000.
Additionally, the three men are accused of stealing a Toyota Spacio motorcar valued $3.7 M from the businessman. The court heard that the car belonged to Linda Bonita.
The three unrepresented men were not required to plead to the charge.
Addressing the court, Bishop disclosed that he has a pending assault matter before Magistrate Geeta Chandan-Edmond at the said court but added that he had never been convicted on any charge.
Forde, a father of one, and his co- accused, Nurse both told the Magistrate that they had never been charged before.
Police Prosecutor, Inspector Michael Grant made an application for the men to remain in custody. He objected to bail on the nature and gravity of the charge as well as the seriousness of the offence. He opined that the accused were flight risks who may not return for their trial.
At this point, the three men became vocal and alleged that they had suffered violent abuse at the hands of several police ranks.
According to Bishop, he and the other accused were placed on an identification parade (ID parade) but none of them were identified by Jagdeo (the victim). Bishop recalled that the businessman specifically told the investigating rank that none of them had robbed him.
The accused also said that the officer verbally abused the victim and called him a fool. Bishop claimed that the rank even threatened that he “will make sure I get charge and go before a magistrate where I won’t get bail.”
Bishop lifted his pants and showed the Court the injuries he allegedly sustained to his right foot after he was beaten by the police.
Forde, who was wearing a bandage on his right elbow, also complained that his injury was as a result of the trashing he suffered at the hands of the police.
The three men complained that when their relatives brought food for them at the Criminal Investigations Department (CID) they were chased away by the ranks. They said they hadn’t eaten in days.
The men beseeched the Magistrate to ask the police rank whether they were identified by the victim.
The rank when questioned by Magistrate Latchman admitted that the accused were not identified on the parade but claimed that there is video footage of the robbery. He said when the trio saw the video they confessed to the crime but had not given confession statements.
The Magistrate in turn charged the Prosecution with reading Jagdeo’s statement. In so doing the prosecutor Grant related that the man had indeed said that he could not describe the men but would have been able to identify them if he saw them again.
At this point, Magistrate Latchman indicated that the detective in court had stated that the man did not finger them in the identification parade. The men also denied giving confession statements for the alleged crime.
The prosecutor’s objection was overruled and each of the men was placed on bail. They are scheduled to appear before Chief Magistrate Priya Sewnarine-Beharry on September 15.
In a statement issued to the press, the police had said that diligent investigations led to the recovery of the stolen motor vehicle on Monday at a residence in Sunflower Avenue, South Ruimveldt.
They said that the vehicle bearing registration number PRR 4395 was stolen sometime around 05:00 hours in front of GUYTRAC after three men dragged the owner, Ramanand Jagdeo out of it.
Jagdeo was reportedly trailed by three men from Peter’s Hall, East Bank Demerara (EBD) who had caught up with him on Cross Street, where he had stopped to talk to a friend. The men approached Jagdeo and pulled him out of his car.
They relieved him of the items and sped away in the car.
They said that the cash and goods inside were not however recovered.
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