Teen pleads guilty to robbing Sir Ellis

One of the two teenagers arrested and charged with robbing former president Sir Ellis Clarke will be sentenced by a Port-of-Spain magistrate on October 28.  Yesterday  he pleaded guilty to all four charges of robbery, one of which included robbery with aggravation. Appearing before Magistrate Avason Quinlan was 19-year-old Donatus Glasgow and 16-year-old Ray Paul Julien. Both accused are from Dibe Road, Long Circular Road in St James. The two were accused of robbing Sir Ellis and his chauffeur, Keith Bastaldo, on September 25 at Pine Grove Villas, Golf Course Road, Maraval. Roger Ray Lewis, a security guard stationed at the gated community, and Sonya Raffoul, another resident, were also robbed in the same incident. When the two teenagers appeared yesterday before Magistrate Quinlan, Julien pleaded not guilty to all four charges.

Because of his age, his mother, Frederica Julien, was called to consult with her son before he entered his not guilty plea. Julien was then placed on $300,000 bail with surety to be approved by a Clerk of the Peace. The magistrate then ordered the teen be remanded to the Youth Training Centre (YTC). The elder of the two accused, Donatus Glasgow, who was not represented, pleaded guilty to all four charges. The evidence submitted by the arresting police officer, Sgt Glen Hacket, was read out to the court. The statement given to the police by Glasgow was also read by Quinlan, who read it silently after the accused requested that it not be read aloud. The evidence was that at about 5.45 pm on September 25, security guard Lewis, who is attached to EC Security Services, was on duty at the security booth located at Golf Course Road, Maraval, when he was accosted by the accused.

They bound him with duct tape and robbed him of $20 cash, a wrist watch, a pack of cigarettes, a lighter, a wallet and an identification card. It was said that personal violence was also used against the security guard during the robbery. Around that same time, Sir Ellis Clarke, who was being driven by chauffeur Keith Bastaldo in his Audi car, was also in the same vicinity of the guard booth. Sir Ellis and his driver were also both accosted by the accused and another person, who put them inside the guard booth. Sir Ellis was then robbed of $1,200 cash and Bastaldo was robbed of his cellphone and $260 cash. The Audi was also stolen by the defendant. The evidence also stated that Sonya Raffoul, a Pine Grove Villas resident, was driving out of the compound when the accused robbed her of $200 cash. After this, the defendant and another person drove off with Sir Ellis’ vehicle, which was later found abandoned a short distance away. Glasgow was remanded in custody. Both men will reappear on October 28.