Isaiah Griffith, a 21-year-old labourer from Bent Street, Georgetown, has been remanded to prison after being denied bail on five separate counts of armed robbery.
The young man appeared before Acting Chief Magistrate Faith Mc Gusty at the Georgetown Magistrates’ Courts on Wednesday.He is accused of robbing multiple victims at gunpoint and knifepoint.
It is alleged that on December 17, 2024, while allegedly armed with a gun, Griffith, along with an accomplice, robbed Alfred Chinos of an iPhone worth $220,000.
That same day, at Robb Street, Georgetown, he is accused of robbing Angel McKenzie of $340,000 in cash.
Further, on January 26, 2025, at Werk-en-Rust, Georgetown, he allegedly robbed Zhao Fengzhi of a Samsung Galaxy phone, this time while armed with a knife.
On the same day, at George Street, Werk-en-Rust, Georgetown, he reportedly stole a Redmi cellphone worth $62,000 from Jiang Ji Liang.The final charge states that Griffith robbed Jin Bo Hu of GY$334,800, also while wielding a knife.
Defence attorney Stacy Goodings petitioned for reasonable bail, arguing that Griffith had a fixed place of residence.
However, the prosecution strongly objected, citing the seriousness of the offences, the potential risk of witness tampering and CCTV footage allegedly placing Griffith at a business owned by one of the victims.
Additionally, the prosecutor informed the court that a business manager had been consulted as part of the investigation, further strengthening the case against Griffith.
During the hearing, Griffith claimed he had been punched in the mouth and stomach by officers during his arrest after denying involvement in the crimes.
His lawyer raised concerns about police brutality, prompting the prosecution to request a medical examination to investigate the allegations.
Magistrate Mc Gusty questioned why the medical examination had not already been conducted, given the time available.
The delay was attributed to the brief suspension of court sessions, which also resulted in Griffith being held beyond the 72-hour legal limit—a concern raised by the defence.
After considering the prosecution’s arguments, Magistrate Mc Gusty denied bail, stressing that the risk of witness tampering and the severity of the charges warranted Griffith’s continued detention.
The case has been adjourned to February 19, 2025, for further proceedings.
