Peter Thompson, a 22-year-old soup vendor accused of armed robbery, was granted bail in the amount of $250,000 on Wednesday during his appearance before Acting Chief Magistrate Faith Mc Gusty at the Georgetown Magistrates’ Courts.
Thompson had been in remand since November 2024, following his arrest in connection with an armed robbery involving over $3.4 million in valuables. The robbery occurred on November 12, 2024, at a salon on D’Urban Street, Lodge, Georgetown.
According to the prosecution, Thompson, armed with a handgun and accompanied by others, allegedly robbed Adelle David of several items.
The items include $1,190,000 in cash, six gold finger rings valued at $632,500, a handbag valued at $2,990, two gold chains worth $870,000, a gold ankle chain valued at $150,000, a gold wristband worth $570,000.
During Wednesday’s court proceedings, the prosecution introduced video footage from the salon as evidence. The footage, which was played in court, reportedly showed two men entering the salon and robbing its occupants. However, the video failed to clearly capture the faces of the perpetrators due to obstructed camera angles and their movements.
Interestingly, the footage revealed that a hairdresser present during the incident appeared to avoid being targeted. She was seen on her phone and seemed to hide her face, unlike the other victims, who were robbed.
At Thompson’s initial hearing in November 2024, the prosecution argued against granting bail, citing the seriousness of the crime. They emphasised that the virtual complainant identified Thompson as one of the robbers. Attorney-at-law Nigel Hughes, who now represents Thompson, challenged the prosecution’s case during Wednesday’s proceedings.
He argued that the video evidence remained inconclusive, as the perpetrators’ faces were obscured. In closing, the Chief Magistrate recognised the gravity of the allegations but noted the lack of clear evidence directly tying Thompson to the robbery.
Consequently, she set bail for the defendant at $250,000 and denied the prosecution’s request to include the surrender of his passport as a bail condition.As part of his bail conditions, Thompson must report regularly to the police.His next court date is February 5, 2025.
