No bail for Hi-Lo bandits

FOUR men who staged a daring robbery at the Westmoorings branch of Hi-Lo Food Stores on Tuesday were yesterday denied bail when they appeared before a Port-of-Spain magistrate charged with the larceny of over $70,000 worth of cash, cell phones, cigarettes and jewelry.

Kerry Lawrence, of Espinet Road, Laventille; Arnold Louison, of Guayaguayare; Anthony Shade, of David Street, Bournes Road, St James and Ricardo Stevens of Martha Street, Point Lisas Gardens, Couva, appeared before Magistrate Avason Quinlan at the Port-of-Spain Four C Magistrates’ Court. They were jointly charged with robbing one of the supermarket’s supervisors, Kenneth Phillips, of TT$61,750, US$698 and a carton of cigarettes. They were also charged with robbing Sean Ogive of a cell phone and TT$22, Trevor Gore of a cell phone, Sandra Grimes Redhead of a gold ring, Sean Blake of a gold band, June Baptiste of $415 and a cell phone, Bernadette LaForcade of TT$80 and Debbie Ann Baksh of TT$120. The men allegedly executed the robbery at gunpoint and used personal violence against two of the victims. The four were also charged with assaulting Patsy King, with the intent to rob her. The charges were laid by PC Narace Ramnarine of the Four Roads Police Station.

Attorney Ayana McGowen, who represented Hi-Lo, requested that the recovered cash be kept in the care of the supermarket. Police prosecutor Sgt Diane Boxill had no objections. The matter was stood down for 30 minutes so that the money could be counted by McGowen, in the presence of Ramsubhag and Ramnarine. When the matter resumed, McGowen informed Quinlan that the cash amounted to TT$61,750 and US$698. The attorney, with the cash, was escorted out of the courtroom by  police officers. The four accused were remanded into custody pending tracing and will re-appear before Quinlan on Monday. Stevens will appear before a Couva magistrate on February 20 for the offences that occurred in Couva.