Cousins charged with armed robbery.
IT WAS not a case of blood is thicker than water when two cousins, both facing armed robbery charges, turned on each other during a part-heard bail hearing at the Durban Magistrates Court on Monday.
Tyler Short, 24, claimed that his 20-year-old cousin Monica Dorkin, 20, gave him crack cocaine to consume on his birthday, October 10
He said Dorkin provided the car and gun and talked him into committing three armed robberies, all on the same night, with two other friends Caleb Adams and Riyead Randaree.
Short was represented by his father, defence attorney Clinton Short, who advanced his son’s claims about his niece’s involvement in the alleged crimes.
The State was opposed to bail for Tyler Short but will not refuse bail for Dorkin, while Randaree and Adams have abandoned their bail bids.
On the evening in question, the group’s first victim was robbed and assaulted at an ATM in uMhlanga.
They then attacked a barber on Zenith Drive, Umhlanga and entered his cell phone shop, ransacked the place and made off with a mobile phone.
Police were on the lookout for the suspected robbers.
The accused then moved into Durban’s CBD and attacked a 78-year-old worshipper exiting the mosque on Yusuf Dadoo (formerly Grey) Street.
The elderly man who was in the company of his adult son was also assaulted. He had no valuables in his possession.
As they drove back to the Bluff they encountered police and it is understood that they attempted to speed away, but the officers shot at the vehicle and forced them to stop on Edwin Swales Drive.
All four were arrested at the scene and have since been charged with three counts of armed robbery when they appeared before Magistrate Scelo Zuma.
Police have in their possession video footage from two of the robbery incidents.
Attorney Viran Singh represented Dorkin and advanced that his client will plead not guilty to the charge, had no criminal history and none of the victims indicated that his client was present when the crimes were committed.
Dorkin maintains that Short took his father’s car without his permission and he was the mastermind of the crimes committed.
Clinton Short's counter was that his niece was the mastermind and he requested that the investigating officer in the matter be called to testify when the matter resumed this week.
The attorney questioned why the investigating officer was not opposed to bail for Dorkin as he confiscated her cell phone, which had messages sent to his son, and connected her to the crimes.
Magistrate Zuma endorsed Short’s request.
In the affidavit submitted by Tyler Short to support his bail application, he said he was supplied with drugs on the night by Dorkin.
He has since realised that it was to entice him into committing the crimes for monetary gain.
“I intend to plead not guilty by way of diminished mental capacity given that I am a recovering drug addict,” read his statement.
He confirmed that he was an accused person in a separate armed robbery matter being handled currently at the same courthouse, and was on bail in that matter.
Short said discussions were had with the State with a view to enter into a plea and sentencing agreement in this latest matter.
He maintains that video evidence will show that he only attacked one of the victims on the instruction of Dorkin who remained in the vehicle and kept surveillance.
“While I'm applying to be admitted to bail, I don’t seek to be released back into society, but into a lock-up drug rehabilitation facility pending the finalisation of the matter.
“I am, no doubt, an offender in need of help,” he said.