BASSETERRE, St. Kitts – JERMAUL JULES of St. Paul’s Village was yesterday (Mar. 3) brought in guilty for robbery by a 12-member jury at the Basseterre High Court.
The prosecution team, led by Rhonda Nisbett-Browne, proved that on January 14, 2009 Jules had robbed United Kingdom nationals David Rogers and his wife who, on visit to St. Kitts, were staying at Rawlins Plantation Inn.
He robbed them of EC$400 and a BlackBerry phone.
At around midnight on the date of the incident, Jules was said to have entered Rogers’ room and, with a machete, threatened him and his wife and left the couple traumatised.
It was stated in court that he told the couple he would kill them if they had intentions of reporting the incident to the police.
Rogers was unable to give sufficient description of the perpetrator to the police, but while patrolling in St. Paul’s on January 17, 2009, officers observed the accused outside his home with a bag in his hand.
The court was told that Jules had placed the bag near the front of his home and went back into the building. On his return, the officers grabbed him and he tried desperately to escape their grasp. However, a search of the bag revealed a cellular phone similar to the one reported stolen from the Rogers.
Jules was formally arrested and charged on the following day.
During the trial, which saw five prosecutor witnesses, the self-represented accused denied having possession of the bag and said that he was exiting his home when the police officers held him for a crime he did not commit.
Jules, who was on remand, will be sentenced following the submission of a social inquiry report on Thursday, March 24.
