KEVIN Charles, a 19-year-old homeless man, appeared before Chief Magistrate (ag) Faith Mc Gusty at the Georgetown Magistrates’ Court on Friday, where he pleaded guilty to a charge of robbery under arms. The court heard that on November 30, 2024, Charles, along with an accomplice, committed a robbery on Water Street in Georgetown.

During the robbery, Charles and his accomplice stole a Samsung phone valued at $45,000 and a black wallet containing $10,000 in cash. The total value of the stolen items amounted to $57,000. In his guilty plea, Charles admitted to being intoxicated at the time of the crime.

Initially, Charles claimed to have acted alone, but later identified Dominique Eastman, a resident of “B” Field, Sophia, Georgetown, as his accomplice. Charles revealed that he had used a knife during the robbery, physically grabbing the victim’s jersey, while Eastman took the wallet.

Although the stolen items were returned to the victim, Charles admitted that the $10,000 in cash was already spent. However, he contested the victim’s claim, asserting that the wallet contained only $6,000.
Charles shared with the court that he had been living on the streets since the age of 14, due to a lack of family support. He revealed that his mother struggles with alcoholism, and his father is bedridden, further explaining his circumstances.

Given the seriousness of the offence and his lack of a fixed address, Magistrate Mc Gusty remanded Charles to prison until January 3, 2025, for sentencing. A probation report was ordered to assist in determining an appropriate sentence for the young man.

This is not Charles’ first encounter with the law. In February 2024, he and Eastman were charged with another robbery on Water Street. In that instance, the victim was stripped of an iPhone 12, valued at $120,000, and $20,000 in cash. Both Charles and Eastman denied the charges during their initial court appearance. At that time, the prosecutor opposed bail, citing Charles’ transient lifestyle as a risk. Despite being remanded, both men were later granted bail.