By Clestine Juan

TWO security guards attached to RK’s Security Service along with a female accomplice were remanded to prison on Monday by Magistrate Zamilla Ally-Seepaul on robbery related and firearm charges.The security guards are Dameion Pearce, 30, of Sophia Squatting Area and Cleaveland Pyle of Lot 337 #9 Village, West Coast Berbice.

Pearce’s reputed wife, 29-year–old Eulesie Stephen was also charged jointly with the men and was not required to plead to the indictable charges.

The trio was charged for an alleged staged robbery on May 23, at the Demerara Bank, Le Ressouvenir, East Coast Demerara branch while making a night deposit.

The two guards had claimed that they were attacked by a gunman who took away a bag containing cash and two handguns, outside Demerara Bank before escaping in a motor car driven by an accomplice.

The first charge read that the trio stole $148,840 property of Church’s, while the second charge alleged that they also stole $4.3M property of Courts.

The third charge stated that they also stole two .32 revolvers along with 10 live matching rounds valued $302,860, property of RK’s security service.

Lastly, the trio was accused of stealing over $3M, property of SSS supermarket. Pearce, however was charged separately for having a .32 revolver with five matching rounds of ammunition in his possession on May 25, at Sophia, East Coast Demerara, without being the holder of a firearm licence. He pleaded not guilty to the charge.

Attorney-at-law, Adrian Thompson represented Pearce and Stephen. He told the court that his clients were in common-law relationships and were the parents of four kids.

Thompson further pointed out that Pearce was shot in his leg by bandits and was admitted to the hospital, where he was later discharged. Pearce was handed over to the Vigilance Police Station.

The lawyer criticized the police for charging Stephen and implicating her since the only vital information that police had was a ‘tip-off’ that she had received some of the stolen money.
“The police have charged the woman as a principal offender, even though she had never seen or escorted the money,” Thompson told the court.

According to Police Prosecutor, Sergeant Ayesha Gibbons, on May 23, the two security officers staged the robbery. Stephen allegedly met the security guards along the East Coast Demerara and collected $3M, along with a revolver, which was stashed in her backyard at Sophia.

The guards had told police that they were robbed by bandits, which resulting in Pearce being shot to his leg before the “alleged bandit” made good his escape.

However, the prosecutor pointed out that the trio had knowledge and planned the robbery, since Pearce confessed, which led them to the two other accused.

Bail was strongly opposed by Gibbons based on the prevalence and nature of the offence. She also explained that Pearce was before the court on a drug possession charge.

The Magistrate remanded the trio until July 5.

Investigators became suspicions of the men from the inception and immediately began questioning the security guards to ascertain the real circumstances surrounding the incident.