Two men who are facing up to 10 years in jail for armed robbery at the Siparia KFC outlet were on Tuesday given one week to retain an attorney.
Nicholas Francis and Avid Khan were remanded into custody while their co-accused Brian Lall pleaded not guilty to the charges and was granted $750,000 bail.
All three men appeared before Siparia First Court Senior Magistrate Margaret Alert charged with robbery with aggravation and possession of a firearm.
Francis and Khan pleaded guilty to the charges. Francis also pleaded guilty to a charge of common assault. The charges stemmed from the robbery on November 9, which was captured on security cameras and shared on social media.
Prosecutor Sgt Starr Jacob said around 10.30 pm Francis, wearing a hoodie and mask, entered the business place and jumped over the counter.
The customers scampered out of the premises as Francis pointed his gun at the female worker. Francis grabbed a container of cash and ran out of the business and escaped in a waiting white Nissan AD wagon. Khan was a passenger in that car. The driver sped off, but police intercepted the wagon at Doorbassa Trace, San Francique.
Khan dropped the money container as he ran, but was held by police a short distance away. The other two men remained in the vehicle. Subsequent to their arrest, Francis and Khan took police to an area along the S.S Erin Road, Thick Village, where they threw the firearm.
The police recovered the firearm which was not loaded. They were all charged by PC Hansraj of the Siparia CID.
Francis has three matters for kidnapping. Alert told them the charges were serious and carry a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison. They are expected to reappear in court on November 20. Lall, who was represented by an attorney, claimed he was beaten by the police and not the officer who charged him. Lall has to reappear in court on December 11.