Two men accused of robbing a woman in St Andrew – with one confessing and the other denying it – have been remanded to prison until next month.
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Darrius Ajani Tudor, 18, and Uchenna Immanuel Harewood, 42, both of Rollins Road, Christ Church, were charged that on June 14, they robbed Kim Marshall of $80 in cash, a $40 handbag, toiletries valued at $60, a $20 purse, three cheques worth 30 cents, a $40 pair of reading glasses and two cellphones valued $1 398, totalling $1 638.30, belonging to Marshall.
They appeared in the District “D” Magistrates’ Court, St Thomas, last Thursday before Magistrate Deborah Beckles, where the teenager pleaded guilty but his co-accused denied the charge.
Tudor told the court he was picked up that morning with the intention of going to pick fruit and vegetables, because “I wanted to make money [and] was hungry”.
“I took it upon myself to go and rob Miss Marshall because I did not care about anything so; because I was hungry and frustrated with myself and in general, because my grandmother . . . had died.”
The teen explained that he really did not want to pick any fruit that evening and told himself that he was going to rob “the first person I see. I am a different breed”.
After rummaging through the complainant’s bag and finding $80, he then threw the bag and the remaining contents into a bushy area in Turner’s Hall, St Andrew. He later
bought some food and weed with the money. He added his “belly was full” and after a good night’s rest, when police showed up the next day, he took them to where he had thrown the stuff away.
He said he insisted to lawmen, and to the court, that Harewood “had nothing to do with it”.
Prosecutor Sergeant Victoria Leacock objected to bail for both men. She argued that some degree of violence had allegedly been used, resulting in injury to the complainant. She told the court the prevalence of this type of offence was of concern, the evidence against the accused was strong and there was the suggestion that the complainant actually approached Harewood for help, but later learnt he was involved.
Harewood was known to the court, the prosecutor continued, having been charged with assault to rob, aggravated burglary, burglary and drug offences. Of his five previous convictions, the last was in 2016 when he was sentenced to three years in prison. In the case of Tudor, who had neither previous convictions nor pending matters, Leacock said there was still the need to secure public safety, since by his own admission he intended to rob the first person he saw.
Magistrate Beckles adjourned the matter until July 17 when both men return to court. Tudor will be sentenced at that time. (SD)