BASSETERRE, St. Kitts – TWO individuals who were scheduled to stand trial during the May 2009 Criminal Assizes did not venture to waste the court’s time and submitted guilty pleas to the charges brought against them.

George Elliott, popularly known as ‘George’ was arrested and charged with one count of “indecent assault”.  According to the indictment which was read to him yesterday (May 25) at his arraignment proceedings, the offence was committed sometime between November 1 and November 30, 2007 at Conaree.

Elliott readily admitted to the court that he was guilty as charged, following which His Lordship Justice Francis Belle ordered that a social inquiry report be conducted on Elliott. Justice Belle deferred Elliott’s sentence to Wednesday, June 17, 2009 to take place at the Sir Lee Llewellyn Moore Judicial and Legal Services Complex, Basseterre.

He faces the possibility of receiving a 10 year sentence, the maximum penalty for that offence.

The second person to submit a guilty plea at the arraignment proceeding was Vermel Francis, who was charged with the offence of “assault with intent to rob”.

As per the indictment, Francis committed the offence on October 31, 2008 somewhere in Basseterre. The particulars of the offence indicate that, having been armed with a gun, he assaulted Encosie Lucas with the intention of robbing him.

His Lordship Belle ordered that a social inquiry on Francis be conducted and be presented to the court within an approximate two weeks.  The date for Francis’ sentencing hearing is set at June 11, 2009.

Francis has to face the very real possibility that he could be sentenced to serve seven years at Her Majesty’s Prison, which is the maximum penalty for “’assault with intent to rob”.