Alleged gay man on robbery charge remanded

A self-proclaimed homosexual accused of robbing a man was remanded when he appeared before the Corporate Area Resident Magistrate's Court last week Tuesday.

Charged with robbery with aggravation is Desmond Joseph. He pleaded not guilty to the offence.

Allegations are that, on the day of the incident, Joseph is said to have attacked the complainant and attempted to relieve him of his valuables. It is said that police were alerted to the matter and he was subsequently arrest and charged.

In court, Senior Resident Magistrate Judith Pusey probed the matter.

"Now listen, you know if you travel and you keep on buying tickets, you are considered a frequent-flier," RM Pusey said.

The sitting magistrate ascribed the term 'frequent-flier' to the accused man, as he is said to be a frequent visitor to the court.

Josephs explained that he was wrongfully accused of the offence, as the police constantly harass him and his clique because they are alleged to be homosexuals. The accused man told the court that he was on his way to a nightclub in New Kingston with his boyfriend when he was accosted by the lawmen and taken into custody.

"How dramatic," RM Pusey replied, after listening to the accused man's account of the night's events.

The accused further explained he had been mistreated while in police custody at the Hunt's Bay Police Station.

"I was even taken into the lock-up and I was beaten by the cell mates dem, and my head was burst," he said.

The sitting magistrate ordered Joseph to be remanded until January 21, when he is to return for trial. A fingerprint order was also made against him.