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Three freed, one to lead defence
2017 attempted Republic Bank robbery…
Kaieteur News – Three of the five men accused of attempting to rob Republic Bank in 2017 were yesterday freed by Senior Magistrate, Leron Daly, in the Georgetown Magistrates’ Courts.
(From left) Anfernee Blackman, Jamal Haynes, Shawn Grimmond and Gladstone George.
To lead defence, Keron Saunders
The three men freed are former Republic Bank employee, Shawn Grimmond, of Pike Street, Kitty, Georgetown; ex-Police Constable, Anfernee Blackman, 24, of Laing Avenue, West Ruimveldt, Georgetown; and ex-Rural Constable Gladstone George 27, of Princess Street, Lodge, Georgetown.
Daly upheld a no-case submission made by their attorneys and dismissed the matter against them. However, she made out a prima facie case against the fourth accused and he is expected to lead his defence.
Senior Magistrate Daly in her ruling stated that she upheld the defence attorney’s no-case submissions since there is not enough evidence against the trio for a prima facie case to be made.
However, the Magistrate ruled that sufficient evidence was provided to the court against the fourth accused, Keron Saunders, 27, of Burnham Boulevard, Mocha, East Bank Demerara (EBD). As such, a prima facie case was made out against Saunders, who is expected to lead his defence on July 14, 2021.
The defendants had denied the charge, which alleges that on July 4, 2016, while being armed with guns, they attempted to rob Republic Bank’s Water Street, Georgetown branch.
They were placed on $500,000 bail each, pending the outcome of the trial.
The botched robbery attempt on the financial institution had left 25-year-old agronomist, Elton Wray, dead. He was shot and killed during an exchange of gunfire between his alleged accomplices, police, and guards attached to the Professional Guard Service (PGS).
According to reports, Wray was the best friend of Jamal Haynes, a former Republic Bank employee. On Haynes’ first court appearance, he admitted to the charge and was sentenced to 10 years imprisonment on charges of attempted robbery under-arms, possession of an illegal firearm and ammunition, and unlawful restraining.
According to reports, on the day in question, around 07:30 hrs, a report was made to the police of a robbery in progress at the bank. The ranks responded promptly. When they arrived at the scene, the alleged perpetrators discharged several rounds in their direction.
In an attempt to escape, Haynes reportedly begun running through the arcade, but was later apprehended by police during an exchange of gunfire. He was found hiding in a stall in the arcade. The facts of the charge revealed that the illegal gun and ammunition were found lying on the ground next to him. Moments after Haynes was apprehended, Saunders, a cousin of Wray, was also apprehended by police, after he was observed to be acting in a suspicious manner. Haynes and Saunders then implicated the others in the robbery attempt on the financial institution.
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