Car dealer facing seven counts of theft in two jurisdictions

A St Thomas man charged with several counts of theft avoided being sent on remand after his attorney Justin Leacock was able to convince the Magistrates’ Court that he was a fit candidate for bail.

Dwayne Omar Clarke, a used car importer, of Warrens Crescent, St Thomas is now on $50 000 bail with two sureties, after appearing before Chief Magistrate Ian Weekes.

The 37-year old is charged that between February 28, 2017 and March 6, 2018 stole $32 000 belonging to Korie Blenman being the proceeds of a Republic Bank Barbados Limited cheque.

It is also alleged that between May 18, 2017 and March 6, 2018 he stole $42 000 also belonging to Blenman being the proceeds of a Republic Bank Barbados Limited cheque.

Those two offences are alleged to have been committed in the District ‘C’ jurisdiction and Clarke will appear in that Magistrates’ Court on November 11 on those charges.

In the District ‘A’ jurisdiction it is also alleged that between May 15, 2018 and February 20, 2019 he stole $18 000 belonging to George Yearwood being the proceeds of a Scotia Bank draft payable to him and drawn from the bank’s account.

He is further accused that between February 25, 2019 and June 24, this year he stole $8 000 belonging to Lavonne Hinds, the proceeds of a Republic Bank Barbados Limited draft payable to him for $16 000 and drawn from the account of the Barbados Teachers’ Cooperative Credit Union Ltd.

During the period of February 2, 2020 and July 6 this year, it is alleged that Clarke also stole $24 500 belonging to Joy-Ann Mapp using a Republic Bank Barbados Limited cheque payable to him and drawn on the account of the Barbados Public Workers’ Cooperative Credit Union. He is further accused of stealing $18 000 belonging to Mapp via the same means between August 17, 2019 and July 6, this year.

Clarke is also facing the charge that between February 25, 2019 and June 24 this year he stole $16 000 belonging to Wolsey Griffith via a Republic Bank Barbados Limited cashier’s cheque payable to him and drawn from the account of the City of Bridgetown Cooperative Credit Union.

The accused was not required to plead to any of the charges.

Sergeant Victoria Taitt objected to his bail on the grounds that charges “spanned from 2017 straight through to this year” and involved five different complainants, in two jurisdictions.

The prosecutor argued that based on the seriousness of the charges, the strength of the evidence and the need to protect the complainants and by extension society the accused should be remanded to Dodds.

But Leacock “objected to the objections” submitting that the charges leveled against his client were non-violent so the need to protect society did not factor in.

The attorney also revealed that Clarke is in the business of buying and selling imported cars and claimed that “these people changed their minds”.

He stated that the strength of the evidence also did not factor at this stage as the defence was not in possession of disclosure on the matter. He told the court that his client was gainfully employed, had a fixed place of abode and there was nothing to suggest that he would not turn up on his court dates.

After listening to the submissions Chief Magistrate Weekes exercised his discretion in Clarke’s favour and granted him bail to reappear before the District ‘A’ Magistrates’ Court on April 26, 2022.