MOTHER-IN-LAW of Malcom Panday, along with four other accomplices, was yesterday convicted for a July 2011 robbery under arms committed on businessman Malcolm Panday, at his Bel Air, Georgetown residence. Chandrada Rampersaud, Jermaine Mitchell, Aubrey Simon, Rayon Jones and Hardat Kumar, a relative of Rampersaud, were all informed by Chief Magistrate Priya Sewnarine-Beharry that they were found guilty as charged.
The joint charge said on July 12, 2011, at Bel Air, the accused persons, along with one Rabindra Seemangal, robbed businessman Malcolm Panday and his wife Annie Ramsood of $7.4M.
They were all remanded to prison and will return to Court today for sentencing.
Seemangal pleaded guilty to the crime on September 11, 2012, and was sentenced to eight years’ imprisonment.
Mitchell and Simon were also jointly charged with unlawful possession of firearm and ammunitions. Mitchell was convicted for this charge, and Simon, who was not present in Court, was found not guilty.
Twenty-three-year-old Mitchell told the Court that he is an employee of Banks DIH and is the father of a six-month-old baby. He added that he spent six months in remand for this matter and has no pending charges.
Mitchell explained that he does not know anything about this matter nor is he acquainted with the other persons that were charged.
Thirty-two-year-old Jones said he is self-employed and also claimed that he is innocent. He was represented by attorney-at-law, Mr. George Thomas, who also not present in court. Jones requested a short adjournment date for his defence counsel to address his mitigating factors. He was also facing a separate pending charge of receiving stolen property before Magistrate Judy Latchman.
The other accused, Kumar, said he is 33 and married with two children, aged eight and four. He added that he spent approximately five and half months on remand. He is also self-employed and has two previous convictions, one of which is perverting the course of justice.
As for Rampersaud, accused of masterminding the robbery, told the Court that she spent six months in the lock-up and does not wish to go back. The 53-year-old woman said she is single and has a 17-year-old daughter who depends on her.
The matter was prosecuted by attorney-at-law, Mr. Glenn Hanoman.
Meanwhile, attorney-at-law, Ms. Shellon Boyce, in association with Hanoman, in his absence, reminded the court that the offence carried out by the accused was serious.