🔒 Three men found guilty in $500k bank burglary case

David Samuel Bodden, Statan Omar Clarke, and Elton David Webster have been convicted of burglary, relating to over $500,000 stolen from the Royal Bank of Canada in George Town nearly eight years ago. Eliza Webster was also found guilty of possession of criminal property, linked to over $4,000 seized from her at the airport a month after the burglary. The trial, presided over by Justice Roger Chapple, lasted over two months, with the jury deliberating for several days before delivering a unanimous verdict. All four defendants have been granted bail until their sentencing in August. However, Justice Chapple has indicated that he intends to impose a custodial sentence on the three men. 🏦

During the trial, the jury heard that the case had initially stalled before a cold case review brought together all the evidence and charges were laid. Prosecutors argued that Bodden, who worked at the bank and was alleged to be the “inside man,” facilitated the burglary. He is said to have enabled Clarke and Webster to enter the banking hall by propping the door open and indicating which teller draws held the cash. He is also accused of deactivating some of the bank’s security systems. The defendants, who were all acquainted, were connected by phone records on the evening of the burglary. Despite the defense arguing that there was no substantial evidence against their clients, crown counsel Nicole Petit successfully argued that the circumstantial evidence was not only compelling but overwhelming. 🏛