Robbery/home invasion on Land Court Judge…Magistrate sets June date for ruling

May 28, 2016 Court Stories, Features / Columnists, News

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—following closing arguments by Prosecutor

The case of the five men accused of robbing and feloniously wounding Land Court Judge Nicola Pierre will

conclude on June 10, with a ruling from Magistrate Zamilla Ally-Seepaul.
This announcement was made by the Magistrate following closing arguments by Special Prosecutor, Attorney Nigel Hughes.
Warren McKenzie, 22, of Lot 18 Brutus Street, Agricola; Damien Millington, 22, of Lot 118 Caesar Street, Agricola; Nicholas Narine, 18, also of Caesar Street, Agricola; Premnauth Samaroo and Anthony David, 28, of 63 Hadfield Street, Stabroek are currently on remand.
Hughes during his closing arguments asked the court to find the men guilty as charged for the five offences they are facing.
They are facing two counts of robbery under-arms, two counts of felonious wounding and a charge of discharging a loaded firearm.
Hughes submitted that the men should be found culpable of the crimes because they acted in concert with each other. He said that the Land Court Judge, her husband Mohamed Chand and security guard Ron Peters all testified that the defendants were armed with guns.
“We have three witnesses who clearly said that these several persons all had weapons…and not one weapon. It was more than one weapon. So we had the guard with the gun to the head. We had Ms. Pierre and Mr.Chand in the house who said that these people had weapons because they were assaulted with the weapons and we had Mr. Ron Peters who said that he was shot at by somebody,” Hughes asserted.

According to the Prosecutor, Narine was positively identified by the Land Court Judge and her husband. He pointed out that Ms Pierre was able to recognize the voice of this defendant after she requested that he speak while on an identification parade.
The Prosecutor said that the vision of Ms Pierre was never impaired and she was able to view him for an extended period of time. As such, he affirmed that the evidence given by this witness was not contradicted and completely reliable.
Hughes added that during the identification parade the Land Court Judge and her husband were given a clear vision of all the suspects in the lineup.
Hughes related that during the trial there was evidence led that Samaroo was pointed out by Ron Peters on an identification parade. Ron Peters, Hughes said, testified that he saw the defendant “flagging down a car” after the robbery had occurred.
He underscored that the witnesses who testified on behalf of Samaroo did not support the alibi he gave during an unsworn testimony.
The case against David, the Prosecutor pointed out is that he gave an oral statement to Assistant Superintendent of Police, Mitchell Caesar. Hughes added that during the trial, David’s Attorney, Adrian Thompson, told the court that his client never heard of the statement.
In the statement, the Prosecutor stated that David told police that his friends called him via phone to pick them up because they were on a work. Hughes asked the Magistrate to disregard Thompson’s claims of his client being unaware of what his friends were doing because a Voir Dire (trial within a trial) was held and the statement was admitted into evidence.

The issue of whether David had knowledge of the crime was also highlighted. But Prosecutor Hughes is contending that someone can be charged with the principles if that person is an accessory after the fact.
This matter was adjourned until Monday for the Prosecutor to lay over to the court an authority to support his contention.
The Prosecutor made no closing arguments in relation to the other defendants because while they were unrepresented during the trial, they refused to address the court at the closure of their defence.
According to reports, heavily-armed bandits inflicted a brutal beating on the Land Court Judge and her husband after overpowering an on-duty Special Constable and storming the couple’s home located in a gated community at Felicity, East Coast Demerara, on July 9, last year.
The couple was attacked while they were asleep. They were gun-butted into unconsciousness after the men, gained entry to their home via a window.
The robbers carted off a small safe containing US$7,000, jewellery, and a suitcase containing other valuables. But they were forced to drop their loot after coming under gunfire from a security guard who was stationed at a businessman’s home nearby.
Pierre sustained a broken jaw and other injuries, while her husband received severe injuries to an eye. He has since lost the eye.
They were both forced to seek medical attention overseas. (Feona Morrison)

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