Man charged with robbing tourist to reappear in court Monday

Jervany Baptiste of Rose Place will reappear at the Serious Offences Court next Monday, November 20, for a bail review.

The 22-year-old man is charged in relation to the brazen daylight robbery of an unknown man, of an unknown address (as stated in the court) of a gold bangle, worth an unknown sum of money and putting this man in fear of force.

He is further charged that on the same day, he assaulted and resisted the arrest of a police officer, one Keith Barnett, while he was carrying out his duty. The offences took place on November 8 at Bentick Square, Kingstown.

According to reports, on November 8, at around one in the afternoon, a group of tourists who had alighted the Britannia, the largest cruise liner to dock in SVG, were walking through Kingstown, near the Milton Cato Memorial Hospital.

It was then that they were allegedly approached by a group of men, one of whom robbed a male tourist of his possession and then ran away. A police officer gave chase, but lost the perpetrator in the tussle that ensued.

Baptiste appeared before the Serious Offences Court on Monday, where the three charges were laid indictably.

Prosecutor Adolphus Delpesche objected to bail for Baptiste, considering the ongoing investigations, as the complainant was a visitor to these shores. He further stated that being in the midst of the tourist season and given the fact that “the investigators are of the view this accused has a propensity for offences of this nature,” he was afraid that if the accused were to be granted bail, it would “only allow him to continue in that direction.”

Delpesche said he was aware that the prosecution could not keep denying bail forever, and gave assurances that the investigation would be carried out as expeditiously as possible.

Chief Magistrate Rechanne Browne-Matthias acknowledged that it was obvious, because of the way the charge was put together (referring to the repetition of the word ‘unknown’), that “it requires further work.”

She further stated that due to the nature of the matter, she would deny bail to Baptiste.

The accused lived in St Lucia for a while and is said to have returned to these shores recently.