The Tribune

By DENISE MAYCOCK

Tribune Freeport Reporter

dmaycock@tribunemedia.net

A supervisor at the John Bull Store testified that a man dressed like “a drag queen” had entered the establishment moments before it was robbed of over 70 luxury timepieces.

Margarite Higgs, a 12-year employee, was at work on July 23, 2018, when the store was robbed around 10am at Port Lucaya Marketplace.

Accused Corradon Cockburn, 33, and 26-year-old Diego Carey, both of New Providence, are on trial for conspiracy to rob the store. Cockburn is also charged with possession of proceeds of criminal conduct, and Carey was charged with receiving.

In her testimony, Higgs indicated that she arrived at work around 9:30am to open the store. She met Felicia and another staff member there. Also arriving later to work on the morning shift were Daphne, Megan and Shantay, and the store manager Paula Robinson.

Ms Higgs opened the safe and deactivated the alarm. She took the watches out of the safe and set them up in the showcase.

Just as they opened the store around 10am, she saw a person walk in the store wearing white jeans, a black and white shirt, with long black weave, and a big handbag.

Higgs said the person appeared to be a man, dressed as a Drag Queen walking in high heels. He walked straight over to the Rolex counter and pulled out a big jackhammer from his handbag, she recalled.

According to her evidence, she was standing at the office door at the time. “I saw him lift up the hammer and I told my boss, Paula, ‘we are about to get robbed’ and closed the door.”

Ms Higgs said she heard the shattering of glass. She pushed the panic button and called 911 on her phone, and then the store’s loss prevention officer in Nassau.

According to the supervisor, an Italian couple with their two children were the only customers in the store at the time.

She said the incident lasted less than five minutes. When she unlocked the door, Daphne, Felicia, and Megan ran inside the office.

Ms Higgs said all five Rolex showcase counters were damaged and one Breitling showcase was partly damaged. The police arrived shortly afterward.

In her evidence, she noted that the Rolex showcases were made of regular glass, and the Breitling showcase was made of Swiss glass. Most of the inventory was gone, she said.

Ms Higgs said that a total of 55 watches were usually put out on display in the Rolex showcases, and 33 in the Breitling showcase. There were five Rolex counters – Professional, Stainless Steel, Two-Tone, Steel and Gold, Ladies and Gents watches, and Solid Gold. She said the watches range in price from $5,500 to $49,000.

She said that about 32 to 33 Rolex watches, and two Breitling watches were missing.

Ms Higgs said the person entered the store from the north entrance and was about 5ft 10in tall.

When asked by the prosecutor how many persons came in the store, she said one person came in.

During cross-examination, Bjorn Ferguson asked Ms Higgs how many persons worked at the store. She said five persons worked in the MAC Makeup Section, and six worked in her section with the watches.

She said that five persons were scheduled to work, but one staff had called in sick. When asked who had called in sick, Higgs said she could not remember who it was.

When questioned about the drag queen, Higgs recalled that the person was also wearing shades or sunglasses.

“Were you afraid?” Ferguson asked, “No,” said the supervisor, “I was being observant. I took a mental note.”

The defence attorney asked how long was it before she re-emerged from the office. She said it was about five minutes.

She said there was broken glass on the floor and in the watch display counters.

“Did you see blood?” asked Ferguson. “I can’t recall,” Ms Higgs said.

Ms Higgs said police arrived about five to ten minutes after the robbery, and she gave police a statement. She identified what was missing.

Mr Ferguson asked, “Did you attend an ID parade?” “No,” Higgs replied.

“Did the police take your fingerprints?” he asked. Higgs said police did not take her fingerprints. She said they dusted the counters for fingerprints.

Det Sergeant 3429 Bernardo Curtis, said on July 31, 2018, he received certain information from Det Dean and went to the Lucayan Harbour where she spoke with the security personnel, who pointed at a young man who gave his name as Diego Carey and pointed out a silver bin.

Sergeant Curtis identified Carey in court. He said that he examined the bin and discovered a Rolex watch with John Bull tags in five pairs of socks. He cautioned and asked Carey how he came in possession of the watches.

He said that Carey was preparing to leave the island by mailboat to New Providence. He said he could not verify the story given by Carey, so he was arrested. He placed the five watches in individual red bags.

Sgt Curtis said he took Carey to the Custody Suite for safekeeping. He also reported that Carey appeared to have an injury to his leg. He said he gave the five red bags to the Criminal Records Office.

When shown the five red bags in court, Sgt Curtis said he put his signature in a bag that contained all five bags. When asked if he put his signature on each of the individual red bags, he said he did not put his signatures on any of the five bags.

The case resumes tomorrow.