THE trial into the 2017 failed armed robbery on Republic Bank’s Water Street Branch is winding down before Magistrate Leron Daly at the Georgetown Magistrates’ Court.

Ex-Police Constable, Anfernee Blackman, 24, of Laing Avenue, West Ruimveldt, Georgetown; former Republic Bank employee, Shawn Grimmond of Pike Street, Kitty; Ex-Rural Constable Gladstone George, 27, of Princes Street, Lodge, Georgetown; and Keron Saunders, 27, of Burnham Boulevard, Mocha, East Bank Demerara (EBD), are on trial for the offence and are currently out on $500,000 bail each.

Recently, the prosecution closed its case, and the defendants’ lawyers are expected to make a no-case submission claiming that the State has failed to make out a case against the men. The submission will be laid over on February 25.

Another former Republic Bank employee, Jamal Haynes, 27, of Lot 4 Norton Street, Wortmanville, Georgetown, who was also implicated with the four men, during his first court appearance, had pleaded guilty to the charge and was jailed for six years.

Both Grimmond and Haynes were employees of Republic Bank at the time of the attempted robbery while George and Blackman were constables attached to the Guyana Police Force (GPF). The latter two reportedly aided in the robbery attempt by providing the firearms that were used. In his bid to escape, Haynes was shot to his legs.

It was reported that, on the morning of July 4, 2017, three armed men entered the bank before it was opened to the public.

Haynes and his gang members, including deceased Elton Wray, had reportedly planned on getting their hands on the night’s deposits, since it was a three-day weekend and companies would have deposited millions of dollars in cash into the bank.

Wray, a 25-year-old, China-trained agronomist, who was at the time employed at the National Agriculture Research Extension Institute (NAREI), was shot in the chest during the robbery. He succumbed to his injuries the same day, while receiving medical attention.