NINETEEN-YEAR-OLD remand prisoner Wesley Griffith of Lot 283 Thomas Street, Mackenzie, Linden, who is alleged to have unlawfully assaulted the 50-year-old self-employed Deryck Halley in the magistrate’s court on June 20last, appeared yesterday before Magistrate Geeta Chandan-Edmond to answer an assault charge.

Griffith was appearing before Magistrate Judy Latchman on the day in question to answer a robbery-with-violence offence allegedly committed against the same Halley on June 26, 2013 at Lot 14 North Sophia, Greater Georgetown when he committed this other offence. He was at that time accused of using violence in robbing Deryck Halley of one motorcycle, one Blackberry cellular phone valued at $52,000, one Nokia cellular phone valued at $25,000, and cash amounting to $30,000, besides house keys. The accumulative value of that robbery amounted to $277,000.

The unrepresented prisoner pleaded guilty as charged, ascribing his behaviour to the effects of stress. He also said he was sorry for what he had done that day. He will return to court on July 30 for sentencing, pending a probation report.

During Griffith’s attack on Halley in Magistrate Latchman’s Court, her orderly had escorted her into her chambers and another police rank occupied himself in placing prisoners down the court chute. There were other prisoners in the dock, and there were also two other ranks in plainclothes who assisted to bring the situation under control.

Griffith has at the Mackenzie Court an ongoing $5M armed robbery matter allegedly committed at Amelia’s Ward in Linden along with Ruel Williams, 32, of Lot 657 Industrial Area, Mackenzie; and Nellon Brummel, a 27-year-old porter of Lot 27 Lower Kara Kara, Linden.

Griffith faces six charges, along with his alleged accomplices, all of which allegedly occurred on Friday, January 31, at South Amelia’s Ward in Linden, where under arms they robbed a family of a car, cash and jewellery.

(By Geeta Rampersaud)