Two men, one of them with a broken leg, were charged with robbery when they appeared today in the Magistrate's Court. The police allege they stole 3 hundred dollars and a cell phone from police telephone operator Marilou Smith.
They are 27 year old Ernie Miranda, who has a broken left leg and Edward Burns, an electrician of 4 Magazine Road. Burns alone was charged with abetment to commit robbery.
They pleaded not guilty to the charges. It is a firearm offence, so Senior Magistrate Sharon Fraser remanded them into custody until December 20.
The robbery occurred around 12:30a.m on Friday November 11. Smith reported to the police that she was at the corner of La Croix Boulevard and Park Street when she was approached by two men, one of them armed with a firearm. She said the gunman pointed the gun at her and snatched her purse with 3 hundred dollars and her cell phone. For their part, Miranda and Burns said they were beaten by the police. Miranda said that the police reneged on a deal not to charge him if the money and cell phone was returned to Smith.
Miranda claimed that he is innocent and yet he gave the police 3 hundred dollars and a black cell phone to give to Smith.
