The trial of a Marisule carpenter charged in connection with a break-in at People’s Pub on Jeremie Street has begun in the First District Court in Castries.
Solomon Clarke, who is unrepresented, pleaded not guilty to the charge in September 2024. He was granted bail on October 15, 2024, and remains out on bail. In court, he maintained his innocence. The case was initially heard in the High Court but was remitted to the First District Court for trial.
The virtual complainant and first witness, Horrace Walters, testified that he has owned the pub since 1974 and that on Saturday, June 29, 2024, he secured the premises at around 9:40 p.m.
“We locked up. We have a main door and a wrought iron gate which was secured with three locks,” he said.
Walters recounted receiving a call around 4:30 a.m. the next morning from an employee informing him of the break-in.
“I went to the pub and found that it had been burgled. The doors and wrought iron gates had been broken down. The pub was ransacked – papers and drawers pulled out, the cash register broken up, and money and many bottles of alcoholic beverages had been removed,” he said.
When asked if he had permitted anyone to take the items, Walters replied, “No, Your Honour.” He added that surveillance footage showed “three or four faces; some had masks, some had caps on.” He noted recognising a cap similar to one he often saw worn by individuals who gathered outside his pub at night.
During cross-examination, Clarke asked, “Is it true that people come and frequent your bar and buy from it?” Walters replied that the bar closes at 9:00 p.m., and by 10:00 p.m., they are usually finished for the night. He added that for a long time, “a gang of young men have been troubling – not my customers. At that time of night, there’s nobody there. This was the fear – that we would be robbed outside. So my security officer is always with me and armed.”
The second witness, WPC 259 Volney of the Castries CID, testified that she reviewed surveillance footage on September 9, 2024.
“After carefully reviewing the footage, I pointed out a male individual known to me,” she said. “He resembled Solomon Clarke. He was wearing a cap, a short-sleeved shirt with extra sleeves underneath, and a black and white backpack.”
She stated that she has known Clarke for about five years, having encountered him frequently while on duty and even arresting him in the past.
“I’ve encountered Mr Clarke both in the daytime and the nighttime, while on duty and in my personal time,” she said.
When prosecutors asked how she identified him in the footage, WPC Volney responded, “He is the only person I know with eyes like that,” and proceeded to describe his features in detail.
Clarke challenged her identification, asking, “Did he have a mask on or did he not?” Volney confirmed, “He had a piece of cloth around his face, covering his mouth and nose.”
Clarke pressed further: “So how can you recognise him as Solomon Clarke?”
Volney clarified that while the individual’s face was partially covered, her identification was based on her prior familiarity with him. She acknowledged she did not see any tattoos or scars in the footage.
“So why y’all didn’t come and arrest me as soon as? Why y’all wait two months after?” Clarke asked.
Volney replied that she only identified him after viewing the footage and could not speak to the timing of the arrest.
The prosecution informed the court that three additional witnesses were expected but were unavailable on Tuesday. A short adjournment was granted, with the magistrate noting it would be the final one. The case resumes on June 3, 2025.
