“I was hungry so I buy a fake gun and I went around to the persons and I robbed them. I pretended to be a police so robbing them was easy,” were the words of a man whom the court heard pretended to be a member of the Guyana Police Force (GPF) and carried out a series of robberies while using a plastic gun.
He was charged and remanded to prison for the offences.
Twenty-one-year-old Daquan Robinson appeared before Principal Magistrate, Sherdel Isaacs-Marcus in the Georgetown Magistrates’ Courts where he was slapped with four charges.
The first charge stated that on December 7, 2019, at Church Street, Georgetown, while being armed with a gun, he robbed Keon Crandon of $600.
It was further alleged that on December 8, 2019, at Merriman’s Mall, Bourda, while being armed with a gun, he robbed Gary Hartman of a quantity of articles valuing $43,000.
It was further alleged that on December 8, 2019 at Orange Walk, Bourda, he stole one phone valued $5000, property of Desmond Daniels.
The last charge stated that on December 8, 2019 at Orange Walk, Bourda, he had in his possession two iPhones suspected to be stolen or unlawfully obtained.
The unrepresented man pleaded guilty to robbing Hartman and denied the other charges.
Robinson, in addressing the court stated,” On the days I was very hungry so I went about telling these people that I am a police Officer. I requested to carry out searches on them and I pointed the fake gun at them and took away their articles.”
However, facts presented by Police Prosecutor Goodman stated on the day in question, Hartman was in the Merriman’s Mall walking with his haversack on his back containing documents.
The court heard Robinson approached the victim and told him he was a police officer on duty. Robinson then requested to carry out a search on the victim and the victim asked him to produce his police badge.
It was then that Robinson pointed the fake gun at him and relieved him of his haversack. The court heard that the defendant then told the victim to run or he would shoot him. The matter was then reported to the station.
In relation to Daniels’ matter, the court heard that the victim who is a security guard was asleep in a chair when the defendant pushed his hands in his pocket and took out his phone. He then made good his escape.
The matter was then reported and a police on patrol duty in the area saw the defendant. The court heard the defendant approached the officer and told him that he was not supposed to be in the Mall.
The police officer then carried out a search on his possession and the stolen articles were found. Hence, he was arrested and charged for the offence.
The Magistrate, after listening to the facts, remanded Robinson to prison until December 30,2019 when she will sentence him for the charge he pleaded guilty to.
