THREE miners suffered the same fate when they appeared before Chief Magistrate Priya Sewnarine-Beharry yesterday on two joint charges of armed robbery. 

The defendants, Derrick Chance, 24, of Lot 37 Main Road and Sherwin Gillis, 23, of Lot 46 Brummell Street, both of Ann’s Grove, East Coast of Demerara and Kelon Louis (no address given) all pleaded not guilty.
Particulars of one offence said, on Thursday, October 24, at Aranka Backdam, in the Essequibo Magisterial District, being together and armed with a revolver and cutlass, they robbed Sydney Naidoo of 16 pennyweights of gold, one leather cap and $18,000 cash, making a total loss, of $190,000, to the victim.
The second charge said, the same day at the same place, they also robbed Kevin Williams of 12 pennyweights of gold and one Blackberry cellular phone, together worth $160,000.
Attorney-at-law, Mr. Trenton Lake, for Chance and Gillis requested bail for the duo.
Police Corporal Bharat Mangru, prosecuting, said Naidoo and Williams were walking in Aranka Backdam when they were approached by the armed defendants and relieved them of the articles mentioned in the charge.
Naidoo suffered injuries during the robbery and although the cell phone was recovered, the prosecutor objected to bail, citing the seriousness of the crimes and their prevalence, adding his fear that they may not return for trial.
The defendants were refused pre-trial freedom and the cases were transferred to the Bartica Court, for November 7.