A St Catherine businessman, who along with another man allegedly tricked a motorist and stole his motorcar, was denied bail when he appeared in the Corporate Area Resident Magistrate’s Court.

The men allegedly stole the complainant’s Subaru motorcar after they pretended that they were interested in buying the vehicle, which was advertised for sale in the newspaper. It is alleged that they drove away the car after instructing the owner to go to a garage in Kingston.

The accused, Sheldon Carty, 30, of a Linstead address in St Catherine, was denied bail on charges of simple larceny and conspiracy after the police objected on grounds that he did not have a fixed address.

On Thursday when the matter was mentioned, the investigator told the court that Carty took them to two Kingston addresses, including the home of his girlfriend, but there was nothing at the homes to prove that he lived there. The officer also told the court that Carty did not inform them of his home in Linstead.

But attorney Jermaine Reid told Senior Magistrate Judith Pusey that his client did not give the police that information because he was beaten.

Reid also denied that his client, who is the father of five children, was involved in the robbery. According to him, Carty — who operates a restaurant in his hometown in Linstead — was at his business place preparing meal at the time of the incident.

The attorney told the magistrate that his client employs six people and that he also does his own farming to provide for his restaurant.

The magistrate, however, was not convinced and refused Reid’s bail application.

The court heard that in April the complainant placed an advertisement in the newspaper for the sale of his car. Shortly after he was reportedly contacted by the accused, who expressed an interest in buying the vehicle.

On May 25, the accused allegedly made a request for the complainant to send him pictures of the car via social media platform, WhatsApp.

It is further alleged that later that day, the accused and another man met with the complainant in New Kingston, inspected and test-drove the car with the driver inside.

Following that, it is alleged that the accused then told the complainant that they liked the car but that the vehicle was not in a good condition and instructed the owner to drive to a garage at Churchill Avenue, Kingston.

However, when the complainant arrived at the garage he was reportedly told by a mechanic, who realised what was happening, that the car had an advance engine and he could not resolve the problem.

While the complainant was out of his car speaking to the mechanic, it is alleged that the other accused man jumped inside the complainant’s car, while indicating that he was test-driving it, and drove off with Carty following behind.

The complainant reported the matter to the police, but conducted his own investigation and allegedly saw Carty in a photograph on Facebook posing beside his car.

The complainant then took the picture to the police and the accused was held in Linstead. However, the car has not yet been recovered.

Carty will return to court on July 22.

— Tanesha Mundle