Robbery accused to testify in court
A man who was allegedly recognised after he lifted his mask to drink juice from a refrigerator in his neighbour’s house during a robbery, in which he and two other men were involved, is expected to take the witness stand today to tell his side of the story. Samuel Hutchinson of Pinto Road, Arima, is before Justice Rajendra Narine charged with burglary and robbery of his neighbour, Lenora Baksh’s grocery, cash, jewelry and electronic equipment. Hutchinson and two other men are alleged to have entered Baksh’s house on Freedom Street, Pinto Road, Arima, at about 1.30 am on March 5, 1997, and robbed Baksh and her two sons. A third charge of assault against Hutchinson was withdrawn yesterday by senior prosecutor Jeron Joseph in the Port-of-Spain First Criminal Court. After the testimony of PC Carl Hostin, the complainant in the matter, the State closed its case. Hostin related to the court how David Baksh, one of Lenora’s sons who was in the house during the robbery, pointed out Hutchinson at the police station saying, "That is the man I know as Samuel who I told you about. He is one of the men who entered our home and robbed us. He is the man I saw remove the jersey from his face and drink juice from our fridge." At the close of the State’s case, Hutchinson’s attorneys Clyde Constantine and Owen Hinds Jr made legal submissions on which the judge ruled. When hearing resumes today, Hutchinson will decide on his options — to testify from the witness stand, which he is most likely to do, or remain silent. He can also call witnesses in his defence.
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"Robbery accused to testify in court"