St Lucian to be tried summarily in relation to theft

The mode of trial in a case in which a St Lucian national faces nine counts of theft was on Wednesday switched from a Preliminary Inquiry (PI) to a Summary Trial.

This means that Jammy Jameson Harry, 22, can now enter a plea and undergo a full trial at the Serious Offences Court, as opposed to undergoing a PI to decide whether or not he would appear before the High Court.

Harry is charged with thefts that occurred between March 10 and 12, 2017 amounting to EC$15,500.

He is accused of stealing EC$5,500 in cash from Michelle Williams of Owia on four occasions; and for stealing EC$4,000 in cash from Curvis Lewis of Sion Hill on two occasions in Kingstown on March 10 and 11.

The St Lucian national is further accused of stealing EC$6,000 in cash from Willis Pope of Villa on three occasions between March 10 and 13.

He is charged under Section 209(1) of the Criminal Code.

When Harry appeared before the Kingstown Magistrate’s Court on Wednesday, March 15, he was not allowed to enter a plea, as the matter was to be tried as an indictable offence.

Harry is believed to be one of three St Lucians apprehended by police in relation to recent reports of fraudulent activities at Automatic Teller Machines (ATMs) around St Vincent and the Grenadines.

He first appeared before the court with two other St Lucians Aaron Kadoo, 30, and Mario Chitole, 25, who were charged for immigration offences.

Both men were charged that on March 10 at Barrouallie, they entered the state by boat and disembarked without the consent of an immigration officer.

Kadoo, however, was separately charged that on that same date and place, being a prohibited immigrant, he entered the state by boat.

All three men were remanded in police custody, as they are non-nationals.

Lawyer Duane Daniel represents them; however, when Harry reappeared before the court on Wednesday, Daniel was not present.

Harry began pleading not guilty to the charges as they were read to him, when Chief Magistrate Rechanne Browne-Matthias allowed him the opportunity to enter his pleas in the presence of his lawyer on Monday, March 27. (AS)