Two men accused of orchestrating a grenade attack on a shop in Barataria last month, have been denied bail after appearing in court between Wednesday and yesterday afternoon.
Umar Prescott, 24, of Malick, Barataria, and 29-year-old David Thomas, of Phase Four, La Horquetta, Arima, were not called upon to plead to the charges which fall under the Bail (Amendment) Act 2015. The legislation precludes people charged with offences involving guns, ammunition and explosive devices from accessing bail for 120 days.
Prescott, a welder, and Thomas, a construction worker, were charged under the Anti-Terrorism Act for detonating a grenade with intent to cause death or grievous bodily harm and for wounding the two victims of the explosion — Ricardo Harewood and Kristopher St Cyr.
Prescott appeared in the Port-of-Spain Magistrates’ Court on Wednesday afternoon while his co-accused appeared yesterday.
The two are accused of launching the grenade out of a moving vehicle at a shop at Sixth Avenue, Barataria, where Harewood and St Cyr were liming on March 23.
Harewood and St Cyr suffered minor injuries in the explosion and were treated and discharged from hospital the following day. Harewood’s car, which was parked within the blast radius, sustained damage.
Insp Anthony Harford, who laid the charges, told the court that two men in addition to Prescott and Thomas are to be charged with the crime but were yet to be arrested.
During his brief court appearance, Thomas pleaded with Chief Magistrate Marcia Ayers-Caesar to remanded him to the Maximum Security Prison in Arouca, as he said his life would be under threat from fellow inmates if he was sent to the Port-of-Spain State Prison.
Ayers-Caesar agreed to do so before adjourning the case.
Prescott and Thomas, who were represented by Ricard Clarke-Willis and Seana Baboolal, will reappear in court on April 29.
Insp Anslem Hosein, from the Barataria Police Station, officers of the Special Branch and Criminal Gang and Intelligence Unit (CGIU) also were involved in the investigation.