The trial of the five men, Andre Burton, George Mignott, David Tomassa, Rennie Cole and Ryan Edwards, charged with armed robbery at the Buckingham Square branch of Cayman National Bank (CNB) on Thursday, 28th June last year, began in the Cayman court last Thursday (11).

The robbers are charged with stealing over S500,000 from CNB in a daylight robbery. Three men entered the bank, dressed in construction gear with their faces concealed. The Crown claims one of the men had a real firearm and another an imitation one. All have pleaded “not guilty”.

The court heard one of the robbers had got stuck in a partition behind a teller’s station and had to be rescued by one of his accomplices during the robbery.

One of the robbers distracted the security guard whilst the other two, who were armed, ordered the bank customers and staff to lie down on the floor.

The tellers were ordered to hand over money or they would be shot by one of the men whilst the other robber ordered two other staff members to open the vault and hand the money over.

The robbers escape, however, was hampered when an armoured truck arrived at the same time, and the driver blocked their escape. They abandoned their car, a white Toyota Windham, and fled on foot to where a second car was awaiting for them on Esterley Tibbetts Highway, a Red Chevy Equinox, with another of the defendants and made their getaway. The robbers dropped some of their loot when they were running away.

That same day officers from the Royal Cayman Islands Police Service (RCIPS) found the getaway car that belonged to a man that was hiding inside with a bag of money from the robbery. The man admitted his part in the heist and gave statements to the police concerning his co-conspirators role, along with the planning and execution of the bank robbery. He will be the Crown’s key witness.

The Crown said DNA tests on swabs taken from the headrests of the getaway vehicle and a cap found inside will show at least two of the defendants on trial were in the getaway car.

The trial continues this week before a jury of twelve – 5 men and 7 women.