The cries of pregnant cancer patient Melissa Evans echoed throughout the Port-of-Spain Magistrate's Court yesterday after she was told she had to spend a night in prison after being denied bail in the multi-million dollar pawn shop robbery matter.
Evans, her boyfriend Jevon Cudjoe, his younger brother Jude, Vishnu Lutchman and Anthony Hutchinson were all denied bail when they appeared before Magistrate Cheron Raphael charged with robbing More Money Pawn Shop of $23,693,055.49, $60,000 and electronic items worth $6,000. The five are alleged to have robbed the store sometime between February 21 and 23.Evans, 33, of Mt Hololo, Cascade, through her attorney Alexia Romero, told the magistrate she has to attend clinic every two months and since her arrest on February 27 she had to be rushed to hospital.
Romero also told the court her client was deemed medically unfit to work and is the mother of two, including an asthmatic seven-year-old daughter.Romero, who also represented Jevon Cudjoe, said he was 28 and had one pending matter for gambling.She said Cudjoe, who was additionally charged with possession of marijuana when held on February 28 at his home, was a technician. Cudjoe pleaded guilty to the marijuana possession.
After the duo, who appeared separately from the other accused, appeared and were denied bail, Evans began to cry.As she was led out of the court her cries turned to wails. Moments after the couple appeared their co-accused were brought to court to answer the charge for the multi-million dollar robbery.The younger Cudjoe, 25, of St Rose Hill, East Dry River, Port-of-Spain, was represented by Samuel Thomas. He and Lutchman are additionally charged with robbing Just CDs and Accessories of 160 sim cards, 19 cellphones, together totalling $19,138.74 and $1,000.
Cudjoe, along with other unknown people, is further charged with stealing 46 Army Fete tickets; $7,608.03 and two tablets, valued at $2,849 from American Stores, Henry Street, Port-of-Spain, sometime between January 22 to 23.Sometime between February 9 and 10, Cudjoe, again with others, was accused of robbing Ellis Brown and Co Ltd on Charlotte Street of $15,056 in tools and $1,985. He is also charged with possession of marijuana to which he pleaded guilty.
Before denying the five bail, Raphael requested the medical records of Evans for considering bail.Court prosecutor Sgt Joseph objected to bail, however, noting that due to the nature of the offence he was convinced the accused are likely to abscond even if their passports were taken away. dded to that, he said the criminal records of all the accused were not available and they would have to re-appear today for bail application.
According to police, the alleged thieves got into the store by cutting out slabs of concrete from the roof and using a drill to access the vault room. Using blow torches and other tools, they then cut the safes and cleaned out gold and other precious metals.The thieves also cut open a huge safe which protected the video surveillance equipment and stole that too.Police said the thieves allegedly had the floor plan drawings for the business and several others in the Port-of-Spain area. Police said $1.4 million worth of jewels have since been recovered.