By PAVEL BAILEY
Tribune Staff Reporter
pbailey@tribunemedia.net
A MAN with a pending rape charge was denied bail for an armed robbery he allegedly committed while on release awaiting trial last year.
Gregory “Boyo” Davis, Jr, also known as Gregory Sweeting, 33, applied for bail before Justice Neil Braithwaite on an armed robbery charge.
Davis and an accomplice are accused of robbing Tierra Higgs at gunpoint on July 11, 2024. The pair allegedly stole her silver coloured 2013 Nissan March, valued at $6,700, and her black Anabelle purse, which contained $41 in cash.
Prosecutors said Ms Higgs was operating a ride-share service for the suspects when she heard a bullet chamber from the backseat, after which she was robbed at gunpoint.
At the time of the alleged offence, Davis was on release on a rape charge.
He is accused of raping a 39-year-old woman at his residence in the Coconut Grove area around 2am on September 2, 2023. Police allege Davis struck the woman in the face as she responded to a welfare check call, then proceeded to sexually assault her.
In his most recent bail application, Davis maintained his innocence and claimed he was not identified in the armed robbery. He also described himself as a hardworking young man who does not pose a flight risk and promised to stay out of trouble. He said he did not know the complainant or any witnesses and would not interfere with them.
Jacklyn Burrows, representing the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions, objected to bail. She said the stolen vehicle was found in Davis’s possession two days after the incident and that the complainant identified him in a police lineup.
Ms Burrows also cited Davis’s pending rape charge and his criminal record, which includes 20 convictions dating back to 2010 for stealing, housebreaking or shopbreaking, bail violations, and sacrilege.
Given these facts, Ms Burrows argued that Davis posed both a flight risk and a danger to public safety.
Justice Braithwaite found the evidence against Davis to be cogent.
He also ruled that Davis was not of good character due to his extensive criminal history and noted the alleged armed robbery occurred while he was on release for a rape allegation.
Justice Braithwaite said the armed robbery charge reflected an escalation from Davis’s previous stealing offences and determined that no conditions could be imposed to prevent him from reoffending while on bail. He also found that the risk of absconding was higher due to the likelihood of a stiffer sentence if convicted, given his record.
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