Tashieka Mair, Star Writer
WESTERN BUREAU
A taxi operator accused of housebreaking and larceny was remanded after his bail appli-cation was turned down in the Montego Bay Resident Magis-trate's Court on Wednesday.
For 43-year-old Conroy Law-rence, the evidence against him, the seriousness of the allegations and the fact that he has served time for a similar offence, were reasons given by Resident Magistrate Winsome Henry for her objection to bail.
The resident of Tucker, St James has also been to jailed for ganja and wounding, but this time he is adamantly denying any criminal involvement.
Allegations are that the com-plainant was at home in Lethe, St James on July 16 at 11a.m. when she saw a white station wagon parked at her gate. She thought it was her housemate. but later became suspicious when she did not hear the grill opening.
She allegedly saw a man asking the accused if he had called to find out if anyone was at home, a question to which Lawrence answered 'no'. The complainant said she also observed the men pushing the car under some bamboo trees.
Escape
The men spoke for a while before they came back to the house and started knocking at the door and grill. The complainant allegedly became afraid and jumped through a window, about 16 feet high, and ran to a neighbour's house.
The police were alerted and when they went to the house they observed that the door and lock to the entrance of the house were damaged and the dwelling ransacked. A television set, DVD player, an Olympus digital camera and other items belonging to the complainant's housemate were missing.
The accused man allegedly went to the Anchovy police the following day and told the investigating officer that he was chartered by the other man, who is now being sought by the police. However, he was arrested and charged after the complainant attended the station and identified him as one of the two men who she had observed trying to break into the house.
It was also revealed in court that the men had gone to another house but that the owner was home and that there have been several reports of a similar nature made by other residents.
Chartered
Attorney Albert Morgan, who applied for bail, told the court that his client was 'chartered by a man' and offered $1,200 to take the man to Lethe to collect items. He said Lawrence had no knowledge of any criminal intentions on that man's part.
RM Henry said the complainant's evidence places the accused in an active role in the crime and therefore remanded Lawrence. With three statements outstanding the case will be mentioned on August 13 for the file to be completed.
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