A Las Cuevas fisherman was placed on $450,000 bail after he appeared in court yesterday charged with conspiring to murder former gang leader Selwyn "Robocop" Alexis in 2014, almost two years before he was eventually killed.
Vaughn "Sandman" Mieres, 44, of St Michael's Village, Las Cuevas, appeared before acting Chief Magistrate Maria Busby-Earle-Caddle in the Port-of-Spain Eighth Magistrate's Court yesterday afternoon. He is accused of conspiring with unnamed individuals between June 2 and October 23, 2014, to murder Alexis who survived that attempt on his life but was eventually murdered at his business place in Enterprise, Chaguanas, on July 17 last year.
Mieres was not called upon to plead to the charge which was laid indictably. He is also charged for possession of a protected parrot which was allegedly seized by police during a raid at his home last week. He pleaded not guilty to that charge and was placed on $1,000 bail.
A stone-faced Mieres hobbled into the courtroom on crutches for his court appearance as he had injured his foot while doing landscaping at his home before his arrest.
Police prosecutor Insp Winston Dillon objected to bail and asked Busby-Earle-Caddle to consider the seriousness of the offences and Mieres' lengthy criminal record.
Mieres was arrested during the state of emergency in 2011 and charged under the controversial Anti-Gang legislation. That case was eventually discontinued after the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) determined that the police had insufficient evidence.
Mario Merritt, who represented the accused, strongly disagreed and pointed out that his client has two pending cases for using obscene language and resisting arrest. He said the court could not consider Mieres convictions as they are more than 15 years old.
Busby-Earle-Caddle agreed with Merritt as she stated: "Although the folder is huge, it is ancient."
The case was adjourned to October 2.
