Mechanic on trial for attempted robbery with toy gun

THE STATE closed its case in the trial of  a Chaguanas mechanic charged with attempted robbery after three witnesses gave evidence yesterday. The case was heard before Justice Alice Yorke Soo-Hon in the Port-of-Spain Third Criminal Court.

Melvin Phillip aka Marlon Phillip and “Smallboy”, is accused of using an imitation firearm with intent to rob Ramdassie Balkaran at Main Road, Longdeville, Chaguanas, on November 27, 1998. State prosecutor Dinanath Ramkissoon presented evidence that Phillip, 24, of Tobago Road, Lendore Village, Chaguanas, allegedly entered M & K Mini-Mart armed with a toy gun and demanded that Balkaran open the cash register. Balkaran, the State’s first witness, said the accused, whom she described as “dark-skinned, with shoulder-length rasta hair”, used obscene language and demanded that she open the cash register. She said in attempting to open the cash register it fell to the ground and the accused told her to pick it up. She picked it up and placed it on the counter. The accused then tried to open the register and ran off when he was unable to open it.

Balkaran made a report to the Chaguanas Police Station. Later that day she was called to the Chaguanas CID where she saw the accused and his twin brother. She said she knew Phillip by his rasta hairstyle, while his brother had a shorter haircut. In court yesterday, she pointed out the accused, who now sports a bald head, as the man who attempted to rob her. Under cross-examination by defence attorney Ulric Skerritt, Balkaran admitted that she knew the accused and his brother before the attempted robbery. PC Joseph Corraspea of the Belmont CID, who was attached to the Chaguanas CID at the time of the incident, said he arrested Phillip after he and other police officers spotted the accused playing cards with a group of men on Tobago Road. He said upon searching Phillip he found a black plastic toy gun in his right front waistband.

Phillip reportedly said: “Oh God I really rob the place but I couldn’t get the cash register open.” He said the accused was taken to the police station where he was identified by the victim. He added that Phillip’s twin brother was at the station but Balkaran was able to identify Phillip as the would-be robber. Under cross-examination, Cor-raspea said Phillip’s twin had a distinguishing mole on his face. Skerritt asked if this was the only feature by which he could distinguish the twins. Corraspea answered that he knew both brothers prior to the incident. Cpl Narishan Khan of the Port-of-Spain CID who was attached to the Chaguanas CID at the time of the incident, corroborated Corraspea’s evidence. Hearing continues today.