Prosecution withdraws robbery charge against man

Wilford Woodley has one less legal matter to worry about, following a decision by senior prosecutor in the office of the Director of Public Prosecutions Adolphus Delpesche to discontinue a charge of robbery against him.{{more}}

Shortly after a meeting in chambers with Woodley’s counsel, Ronald Marks and Chief Magistrate Sonya Young, Delspeche made the decision to discontinue the matter, after stating that he “spotted certain things” in the case, on Tuesday at the Serious Offences Court.

Woodley, a one-time fugitive, was charged with stealing a sum of money from Ann-Marie Solomon, an office attendant of Green Hill, on January 26, 2010 in Kingstown.

Solomon, in her testimony, told the court that around midday, she was walking in the Lady J Giftorium area when she felt a slight push.

She said a man then pulled her handbag from her and ran in the direction of First Caribbean Bank.

“At first he didn’t get it, but then he tugged again and he headed off with the bag…,” she recalled.

Solomon said the bag contained money from her workplace and from a woman. She added that she went across to the bank and told a police officer what had taken place. According to Solomon, the police officer accompanied her to the area of the Grammar School Playing Field, where she said she saw the defendant running.

“I saw him running across the pasture and all the children were pointing where he was going…”

She stated that she saw when Woodley ran to the area of Sally Spring. He was later nabbed by police.

However, under cross examination, Marks put parts of Solomon’s police statement to her, where she described how the person was dressed.

“Did he have something over his face?” Marks questioned.

“I can’t really recall,” Solomon said.

In her statement, given to the police on the date of the incident, Solomon said the person was wearing a black ski mask, or tam.

“I was seeing his eyes through the holes. He was wearing an off-white long-sleeved shirt,” the statement records Solomon as saying.

She agreed that she did mention that in her statement.

Before calling another witness, the Chief Magistrate asked to see Delpesche and Marks, following which the decision to discontinue the case was taken.

On June 19, 2013, Woodley, who had escaped the custody of prison authorities at the High Court back in 2010, was sentenced to two years in jail.

In February 2013, St Lucian authorities captured Woodley, 27, of Richland Park and brought him back to St Vincent.

Woodley still has other charges pending before the court.

Woodley has over 10 previous convictions, including burglary, theft and assault. One of the assaults involved a firearm and in two of them, police officers were victims.(KW)