By PAVEL BAILEY
Tribune Court Reporter
pbailey@tribunemedia.net
A MAN was granted $7,500 bail in court on Friday after he was accused of entering a tourist’s hotel room and stealing over $1,000 in cash.
T’ray Forbes, 24, represented by attorney Alphonso Lewis, faced Magistrate Shaka Serville on charges of unlawful entry, stealing and receiving.
It is alleged that on January 9, Forbes unlawfully entered the room of Weonsik Sung at the Holiday Inn on Bay Street. While there, it is said the accused stole an estimated $1,888.58 in US, Singapore, Hong Kong, Yuan, and Indonesian bank notes.
The accused pleaded not guilty to the charges. Prosecutor Sergeant Deon Barr objected to the accused being granted bail on the basis that he has past charges of a similar nature. He further said that Forbes is a habitual offender and that he has a pending stealing charge in the Magistrate’s Court. Sergeant Barr then asked that if the magistrate does grant bail that strict conditions be attached.
In response, Mr Lewis said that his client is a fit candidate for bail and that Forbes would do his best to abide by any bail conditions imposed.
Sgt Barr reiterated that Forbes has a history of offending and suggested that the court consider public safety.
When asked by the judge about his prior convictions, Forbes said that he only had one conviction for fraud in 2018. For this charge he said he served eight months in prison with some time taken off once in remand.
Magistrate Serville granted the accused $7,500 bail with one or two sureties on condition that he be fitted with an electronic monitoring device (EMD).
Acknowledging the recent rise in EMD issues for persons on bail, the magistrate told Forbes that if he should encounter such issues, he is to inform the court so it can investigate the functionality of the device.
Forbes’s trial will begin on July 3.
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