NASSAU-A Jamaican man accused of a crime spree this month that included multiple armed robberies and an attempted murder has been denied bail.
Former wanted suspect Shakeil O’neil Smith, 22, of Golden Gates, faced six counts of armed robbery and one count of attempted murder when he appeared before Deputy Chief Magistrate Andrew Forbes.
Prosecutors say Smith, and another man, are responsible for the brazen mid-morning robbery of the Rubis Service Station on West Bay Street on June 9.
Security footage showed two men who posed as customers before one of the pulled a gun on cashier Wilbert Fils-Aime.
The bandits robbed the station of an undetermined amount of money before they robbed customer, Owen McCafferty of $1,500.
Around 3pm on June, prosecutors say Smith and Devon Carey held up Samuel Strachan, the owner of S &A Variety on Joe Farrington Road. They allegedly robbed Strachan of $300 and shot him in the process.
As a result, they face armed robbery and attempted murder charges. S & A Variety hasn’t reopened since the incident.
Additionally, Smith allegedly committed three armed robberies on June 3.
Prosecutors say Smith robbed Tray’s Convenience Store of $200 and a pack of Aspen cigarettes.
Smith and Carey allegedly robbed Ghislaine Lubin of $761.52, the property of MacGrab Convenience Store in Jubilee Gardens.
Smith allegedly robbed Nicky Georges of $955, the property of 4G’s Convenience Store.
According to Smith, he entered the country legally, but his visa expired when the country’s borders closed due to the coronavirus pandemic. He’s originally from St. Catherine’s, Jamaica.
Magistrate Forbes did not require Smith to enter pleas to the charges. His co-accused appeared was charged on June 19.
They both return to court on September 30.
Smith had evaded police since June 10. Shemore McClean, a 19-year-old Jamaican, pleaded guilty to obstruction for tipping him off about a police search. Smith called McClean while police were looking for him. McClean answered the call and warned him that police were at the home in Golden Gates. McClean paid a $500 fine to avoid spending three months in prison.
