A 15-year-old student at an Aranguez school was remanded to the St Mary's Home for Children, after he appeared before a San Fernando magistrate on assault charges. The teenager of Don Miguel Road, San Juan, was charged along with 22 year-old Christopher Hamilton, and stood before acting Deputy Chief Magistrate Rajendra Rambachan in the San Fernando First Court on Monday.
Rambachan read the charges that on June 14, at Southern Main Road, Marabella, the student, together with another person, assaulted Miguel Joseph with intent to rob him. Also on the same day, at Southern Main Road, Marabella, the student, together with another person, assaulted Dennis Ragoonanan, contrary to common law. Both parties pleaded not guilty to the offences.
Hamilton faces a separate charge: That on the same day at Southern Main Road, Marabella, he had in his possession an imitation firearm with intent to commit an arrestable offence, namely to rob. Hamilton again pleaded not guilty. Asked if there were any objections to bail, court prosecutor Ramdath Phillip told the court a trace was yet to be completed on the character of both defendants.
However, the boy's attorney, Shaun Tikasingh, told the court that his client was only 15 years old and was currently attending an Aranguez school. He told Rambachan the student had appeared in the San Fernando Court on a previous occasion for the charges and had two matters transferred to the Port-of-Spain Magistrate's Court, where he was granted $110,000 bail.
However, in his plea for bail, Tikasingh said the teenager had no previous convictions and no pending matters before the courts. But Rambachan told Tikasingh that he could not take his word on the matter and that he wanted a trace on the boy's character before he could grant bail. The case is expected to resume today.
