A man from Tobago and a woman were arrested and charged following extensive investigations by officers of the Moruga Police Station, Freeport and Couva Criminal Investigations Department (CID), into a spate of robberies in the Central Division.
COLLINS BALFOUR, 38, of Bethany, Tobago, and EVANA AGUILLERA, 26, appeared virtually before Magistrate Alexander Prince at the Couva Magistrates’ Court on 21 July, 2023, where both were jointly charged with Robbery with Aggravation.
Balfour was also charged with Possession of an Imitation Firearm.
Balfour pleaded guilty to both charges, and he was sentenced to five years’ Hard Labour for the offences.
The sentences are to run concurrently.
He was also charged with Robbery with Violence stemming from another incident.
This matter was postponed to 18th August, 2023.
Aguillera pleaded not guilty, and her matter was postponed to 18th August 2023.
According to police reports, on 12th July 2023, at Butler Village, Waterloo Road, Carapichaima, a 71-year-old pensioner was assaulted and robbed by four suspects who alighted from a silver station wagon.
One of the assailants was armed with a firearm.
The victim was robbed of $1800 cash and $13,800 worth of jewellery and electronics.
Enquiries were conducted by Sgt Alexander, Cpl Bajan, PC’s Motiram and Douglas and WPC Joseph all of Freeport Police Station and CID.