Wanted man turns himself in to police

A man police issued a wanted bulletin for two weeks ago is in custody, after he turned himself into the Criminal Investigations Department(CID) accompanied by a lawyer.

Lara Carter’s face was stamped across newspapers on June 15, the police having labelled him as armed and dangerous. He was listed as being wanted for questioning in relation to a “series of reports of aggravated burglaries and robberies.”

On Wednesday, the 23-year-old of Ottley Hall/Edinboro was brought to the Serious Offences Court.

There, he was charged with, on June 13, in Ottley Hall, assaulting Connel Jack with the intent to commit the offence of wounding. He pleaded not guilty.

Prosecution objected to bail for the previously wanted man for a number of reasons. The first being that the alleged offence was said to have been committed using a firearm, and the defendant’s release would possibly hinder the hunt for the firearm. Secondly, Carter was of interest in an investigation by the police of an aggravated burglary. Lastly, there had been a wanted bulletin issued in relation to him, as indications were that he was on the run, added to the fact that a bench warrant had been issued by the Serious Offences Court.

Grant Connell, lawyer for Carter, said that the prosecution saying that there needed to be further investigations could not be a ground for objection to bail. As it related to the bench warrant, he stated that Carter went to the police station of his own accord and therefore he didn’t know about Carter being on the run. “What better person” than someone who gave himself up to the law when requested, he insisted.

The Prosecution indicated that they had a problem with the fact that Carter had sought guidance of counsel (not Connell at that time) and only then did he hand himself in to CID.

Connell commented that persons go to the police station with lawyers so that they are not greeted with a certain “hospitality.”

Chief Magistrate Rechanne Browne-Matthias intervened in the cross talk, to say that she would not be considering bail at the time. This was in awareness of the closing investigations into the aggravated burglary investigation.

Connell commented that it had been around two weeks in his estimation that the bulletin had been out for Carter, and still the police weren’t ready.

Carter was remanded for a week in the first instance, to return on July 3.