Latest update February 10th, 2025 7:48 AM
Stolen cash was not found at my home – says sister of robbery accused
Janelle Austin, the sister of Junior Stuart, one of the three men accused of carrying out a multi-million-dollar robbery at the Princess Casino, was called to testify yesterday when a trial into the offence continued yesterday at the Georgetown Magistrates’ Courts.
Stuart, of Kitty, Georgetown; Andre Blackman of McDoom, East Bank Demerara; and Wayne Griffith of Bagotville, West Bank Demerara, are accused of robbing Daniel Roberts and Alfea Gajadhar of $8,951,000- on August 29, 2015—property of the Princess Casino, Providence, East Bank Demerara.
They have each pleaded not guilty to the charge. They are out on bail.
According to police, four men arrived at the Ramada Princess Hotel in a white motorcar bearing a fake number plate. 
They were armed with guns when they entered the Princess Casino and discharged several rounds. They relieved a security guard of his shotgun and ordered patrons and staffers to lie on the ground.
It was reported that the gunmen held a cashier at gunpoint and made off with local and foreign currency.
Three of the alleged bandits reportedly escaped on foot, while police, according to reports, were able to apprehend Griffith since he was allegedly left behind in the casino.
Police said that Stuart was arrested at Austin’s Vreed-en-Hoop, West Coast Demerara house a few days after the robbery with a large quantity of wet money and other valuables.
Blackman, a former security guard at the Casino allegedly provided the gunmen with vital information about the gambling spot’s operations.
During the ordeal, Police Lance Corporal Andrew Richardson and four hotel staffers sustained gunshot wounds.
Yesterday, Austin was subjected to further cross-examination by Police Prosecutor Shawn Gonsalves.
Austin told the court that on May 1, 2016, she, her daughter-in-law and Stuart were at her Vreed-en-Hoop, West Coast Demerara home, when a party of policemen arrived asking for her brother.
According to her, police ranks came and began pushing everybody, “It was a set of them. Some were downstairs and some were upstairs.” She went on to tell the court that a police rank pushed her to the ground, during which several of them went to the upper flat of her home where Stuart was sleeping.
Anxious to see why the law enforcement officers went upstairs, Austin recalled that she got up from the ground and went upstairs where she saw several police ranks kicking her brother about his body.
She added, “I saw them (the police) kick him and handcuff him. The first kick he get was on the foot and he fell to the ground. Then they kick he in the back and in the stomach.”
Austin went on to tell the court that police searched her bedroom, around the yard and the toilet, but did not find the money they were looking for. She disclosed that her brother was escorted to the Vreed-en-Hoop Police Station.
Austin recalled that some time after, a police sergeant came to her home and told her that she was needed at the station for questioning in relation to certain allegations against her brother.
She said that she complied with the rank’s request and went down to the station. She said that afterwards she was taken to the Criminal Investigations Department (CID) Headquarters, where she saw her brother locked in a “cage” with about four other men.
Austin’s evidence was suspended until Thursday.
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