Robbery duo ‘forgiven’ with lenient sentences

Two Philippine, south Trinidad men who appeared before Senior Magistrate Indra Ramoo-Haynes for attempting to rob a woman were yesterday jailed for two months with hard labour. Danny Bhagwandeen, 21, and Indar Jaggesar, 28, appeared in the San Fernando First Court charged with assaulting Vanessa McQuire on Wednesday with intent to rob her. Both pleaded guilty. Ramoo-Haynes told the men: “Holy Week is about forgiveness and all that. I would forgive to a great extent, two months hard labour.” Prosecutor Cpl Jan Sookdeo told the court at 6.50 pm on Wednesday Cpl Smith and PC Marsh were on mobile patrol when McQuire approached them, pointed in the direction of High Street and made a report.

 

 

She told the policemen two men had approached her. Bhagwandeen announced a hold-up and attempted to snatch her purse while Jaggessar stood nearby looking around. McQuire raised an alarm and Bhagwandeen let go of the purse. The men ran in the direction of High Street. Bhagwandeen told the magistrate he was playing pool and drinking that day and while he was walking, Jaggessar tripped him by mistake. He said he almost fell on McQuire. “She start to scream and people come and tried to beat we up,” he said. He said they ran off. Ramoo-Haynes dismissed Bhagwandeen’s story. She said people responded to McQuire’s screams “because they felt that this (robbery) is what was really intended.”