Jail for DJ, boyfriend

The court heard that he has ten previous convictions including robbery, larceny of a motor vehicle and robbery. The couple pleaded guilty when they appeared in court on Monday. One week ago, the couple robbed the victim, a 65-year-old pensioner, of her cash, jewelry, two laptops and a cellphone.

She was tied up, beaten and robbed by the young man and woman, who, the court heard, did not wear masks as they ransacked her house. They were held last week Thursday in Chaguanas by the Chaguanas CID who, following up on information on the robbery two days later, intercepted the vehicle they were travelling in and recovered some of the loot. PC Ramkissoon of the Princes Town police laid the charges.

CHARGED FOR MURDER A 27-year-old man appeared before a San Fernando magistrate yesterday charged for the murder of Joan Cooper, 53, who was killed last year outside her Marabella home. Roger Wallace, also called Roger Stoute of Plaisance Park, Pointe-a-Pierre is also charged with possession of a firearm, possession of ammunition and wounding with intent to cause grievous bodily harm to Cooper’s husband Carl Edmund.

Cooper of Harmony Hall, was found dead on December 8 in her car which was parked outside her home. Edmund was also in the car and he too was shot but survived.

Wallace appeared before Senior Magistrate Cherril-Ann Antoine in the San Fernando First Magistrates’ Court. The matter has been adjourned to June 6.

PC Desmond Mathura of Homicide Investigations Bureau (Region III) laid the charges following advice from Deputy Director of Prosecutions Joan Honor?- Paul on Tuesday.

FRAUDSTER JAILED A 33-year-old farmer from Samlalsingh Trace, Gasparillo, who pretended to be a Housing Development Corporation (HDC) engineer and collected money as down payment for two houses has been sentenced to 12 months’ imprisonment with hard labour. The fraudster, who was charged with larceny by trick by PC Mitchell, reappeared in the Princes Town Magistrates Court on Tuesday.

Last week Friday, he was arrested during a ‘sting’ operation at a bank in Princes Town. He collected $1,200 from a representative of a non-governmental agency as down payment for the houses he promised to obtain for her.

The banknotes were marked and after being arrested, the man was taken to the nearby Princes Town Police Station where he was charged. Police said checks revealed the conman did not work for the HDC and could not provide homes.