Latest update November 21st, 2024 1:00 AM
Confessed arsonist slapped with two charges
Kaieteur News – Clarence Greene, 24, the confessed Brickdam Police Station arsonist, was yesterday remanded by the Georgetown Magistrates’ Court, where he was brought to face the two charges slapped on him.
A screengrab of Greene from the video recorded confession he gave detectives.
Greene, a labourer of Howes and Russell Streets, Charlestown, appeared before Chief Magistrate, Ann McLennan, to face the charges of robbery under arms, and for setting fire to a building belonging to the State.
It was alleged that around 00:03 on Saturday, October 2, 2021 Greene in the company of an accomplice, and armed with a gun, robbed two vendors at Stabroek Market of two cellphones valued at a total of $160,000.
It was also alleged that around 11:06hrs that same day, Greene committed an act of arson by setting fire to the Brickdam Police Station.
Greene, who was represented by his attorney, Keswana Jenford, denied both charges and made applications for bail.
The prosecutor in the matter, however, requested the charges remain indictable considering the seriousness of the offences.
Chief Magistrate McLennan then decided that he be remanded to prison until October 28, 2021.
According to the facts of the matter, Greene was arrested around 04:00hrs on Saturday last at Leopold Street, after he and another man had allegedly robbed two vendors-a male and female-at Stabroek Market. The female vendor, after being robbed, alerted a security guard and had gone in search of the suspects and caught up with one of them (Greene) on Leopold Street.
Clarence Greene at the Georgetown Magistrate’s Court yesterday
Ranks were notified and called in to make the arrest.
According to the arresting rank, the stolen cellphones were found in his possession, and he was taken to the Brickdam Police Station and placed in cell #4 of the lock-ups.
Around 11:06hrs that Saturday, a fire erupted at the police station and eventually destroyed 80% of the buildings in the compound.
Kaieteur News, which had visited the scene that day, was told by officers on the ground that it was suspected that the prisoners held in the lock-ups might have started the fire.
Later that day, investigators decided to question the prisoners. Two of them then related to police that it was Greene who had started the fire.
Those prisoners claimed that, after they were evacuated, they were placed in a cell with Greene, and he had told him that he had set the fire.
Greene was later interviewed at the Criminal Investigations Department (CID) located at Eve Leary. At around 22:56hrs according to the police, Greene allegedly agreed to a video recording, in which he confessed to setting the fire, because he was frustrated over being detained regarding a matter of which he claimed his innocence.
That confession tape was viewed by this newspaper and a few other media houses and it showed that he admitted willingly to setting the fire that left the Brickdam Police Station in ruins.
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