Accused robbers to return to court in July

Christopher Thomas, Gleaner Writer

WESTERN BUREAU:The trial against a man and woman accused of plotting to rob a prominent Montego Bay financial institution will begin in the Montego Bay Resident Magistrate's Court in July.

Ryan Gray of Cascade, Hanover, and Petrona Williams of a Flanker address in St James, are charged with conspiracy to commit robbery.

When the case was mentioned on Monday, attorney-at-law Dalton Reid asked Resident Magistrate Vivienne Harris, on behalf of defence lawyer Morrel Beckford, for a trial date in June or July.

Reid explained that Beckford would not be present at court to represent his clients that day as he was engaged in the Trelawny Circuit Court.

Harris was also told that only two of the five prosecution witnesses were present at court.

The matter was set for trial between July 9 and 10, and Gray and Williams also had their bails extended.

Allegations are that about 4:30 p.m. on October 17, Williams was working as a customer-service agent. It is said that she handed a note to one of her co-workers indicating that a robbery was in progress and demanded money with threats of harm if the request was not granted.

Prior to this, Williams is said to have handed over $191,000 to a man, later identified as Gray, who had given her the note.

Five days after this, Gray was seen in a Kingston bank lodging $134,000 to Williams' account. Following investigations, the two were arrested and charged.