Robbery, gun charges

An unemployed man of Paul’s Avenue has been charged with the daring daylight robbery of the St Hill Insurance Company’s money bag and a gun in Kingstown last Thursday, January 30.{{more}}

Jariel “Mad Max” Belle, 26, was not allowed to plead to the six charges brought againt him, when he appeared at the Serious Offences Court on Wednesday.

Belle is charged with allegedly robbing Raymond Durrant of Ratho Mill of a green St Hill Insurance Company Limited bag, containing a sum of money in cash and cheques, the property of St Hill Insurance Limited; and a 9mm pistol and four rounds of ammunition.

Belle is further charged with having a firearm in his possession without a licence and possession of two rounds of ammunition. He is also charged with using a firearm with intent to commit an offence – to wit, robbery, and having a firearm in his possession with intent to endanger the life of Durrant, at Grenville Street, Kingstown on January 30.

Chief Magistrate Sonya Young set bail at $30,000 with one surety.

The matter was adjourned to June 2 and 3, for the preliminary inquiry.

Yesterday, another Paul’s Avenue resident, Kwasie Ryan, 24, tattoo artist was slapped with the same charges as Belle. He too was granted $30,000 bail.

According to reports, at 3:45 last Thursday afternoon, an employee of the St Hill Insurance Company on Grenville Street, was relieved of a bag of money containing cash and cheques, as he was enroute to make a deposit at the RBTT Bank on South River Road.

A source informed Searchlight that, as the employee crossed the street outside of his building, accompanied by his young daughter, he was approached from behind by a masked man who fired off two gunshots, grabbed the bag containing the money and then fled the scene. Neither the employee nor the child was injured in the incident.

One of the bullets reportedly hit the Bank of St Vincent and the Grenadines building across the street, narrowly missing vendor and calypsonian Noel “Defoe” Costello, and other pedestians.

The veteran calypsonian, whose most recent big hit was “Woodlice in my Pocket” said he was not aware of how close he came to death until two police officers who came to the scene, showed him where one of the bullets connected, a few feet from where he was sitting.

Police subsequently indicated they had arrested Belle in connection with the incident.

Belle was recently released from prison after serving a seven year sentence on a charge of wounding with intent.

He was convicted for the July 9, 2008 shooting of Gerani Peters and sentenced on February 6, 2009.

Before that sentence, Belle was serving a six-year custodial sentence on gun and ammunition charges.

Back in 2007, Belle was shot in the head by a masked gunman, shortly after 10 a.m. He narrowly escaped death by seeking refuge in a shop at Paul’s Avenue.