A 31-year-old man from Chaguanas has been granted $200,000 bail after appearing in court charged with kidnapping, robbing, choking and raping his former common-law wife.
The man, who cannot be identified to protect the identity of the victim, was granted bail when he appeared virtually before Magistrate Indar Jagroo yesterday morning.
According to the summary of evidence in the case, the incident occurred last Friday after the man took the victim to collect her cellphone, which she forgot in a taxi. After retrieving the cellphone, the victim asked to be dropped off at Chase Village Junction in Chaguanas. However, as she was getting out of the car, the man grabbed hold of her handbag and pulled her back inside. The man then took her to an apartment in the community where he attacked her and robbed her of $4,260 in cash, two watches and a gold chain.
The victim stayed locked in the apartment overnight and only managed to escape around midday the following day. She then reported the incident to the police.
In presenting a bail application for the man, his lawyer, Bhimal Maharajh, claimed that his client, a construction labourer, was involved in a serious car accident in 2008. Maharajh claimed that his client suffered a fractured collar bone and punctured lung in the accident and still experiences pain and difficulty when breathing. He also noted that his client is to be presumed innocent until proven guilty.
In granting bail, Magistrate Jagroo gave the man a cash alternative of $20,000. The man was ordered to have no contact with the victim and to report to his nearest police station twice weekly for the duration of his case. The man is scheduled to reappear in court on September 22.