Suspect in violent home invasion appears in court

Local News

September 9, 2010

Memphis man briefly removed from courtroom for disruption

By Emily Burton Register News Writer The Richmond Register Thu Sep 09, 2010, 08:22 AM EDT

RICHMOND — By Emily Burton

Register News Writer

Court security officers briefly removed Brandon “Jarbo” Thomas, 30, of Memphis, Tenn., from Madison County District Court on Wednesday after he refused to obey officer’s verbal command to remain quiet.

Thomas was in court for a preliminary hearing before Judge Brandy O. Brown on assault and robbery charges.

Prior to the hearing, an argument appeared to occur between Thomas and a two female inmates, seated on a bench in front of him. One of the female inmates asked officer to move Thomas away from her.

The officer warned Thomas to be quiet, who then asked the officers to tell the other inmates, including the two females near him also to be quiet. The officer again warned Thomas to be quiet. A second officer then approached Thomas and also told him to be quiet, or he would be escorted from the courtroom. Thomas then asked the deputy if he was being told to be quiet because he is black.

The officer laughed and told Thomas his race was irrelevant.

Thomas was then escorted from the courtroom. As he was standing to leave, Thomas asked to speak with his public advocate attorney, Meena Mohanty in a hallway outside the courtroom. As he was being led away, Thomas appeared to make an obscene gesture with his hand.

He, Mohanty and the officers were in the hallway for a few minutes before Thomas was led back into the courtroom, where he remained quiet for the remainder of the proceedings.

Thomas has been charged with first-degree robbery, a Class B felony, and two counts of second-degree assault, a Class C felony. He is accused of participating in a violent home invasion on Lassiter Drive in July.

Jason Curry, a Richmond police officer testified at the hearing that about 1 a.m. July 22, police responded to a call that a man and woman inside a residence had been assaulted. Curry said both had lumps on their heads and small cuts near their eyes.

Curry testified that three men had knocked on the door asking for the man, when the woman answered and went to get the man who was asleep in a bedroom, leaving a screen door slightly ajar.

The three men then forced their way into the home, and Thomas struck the man and woman with a handgun, and demanded they hand over a small safe that contained $1,000. They also forced the man to give up $500 cash from his wallet. One of the three men then pulled two rings off the woman’s fingers, Curry testified.

Curry also testified that the male victim was able to identify one of the three suspects who allegedly committed the robbery as “Jarbo.”

After officers showed the male victim a photograph of “Jarbo,” he was able to identify Thomas, Curry said.

Under cross examination, Mohanty asked Curry if the woman had given permission for the three men to enter the home. Curry said he did not know if she had given permission.

She also asked if the victims were able to identify the type of weapon used to strike them. Curry said they could not because, “It was 1 a.m. and it was fairly dark inside the residence at the time.”

Mohanty then asked Brown to consider altering the second-degree assault charge, because Thomas’ alleged actions did not meet legal definitions of second-degree status. Mohanty also said no testimony had been given regarding the exact cause of the victims’ injuries and whether a deadly weapon was used.

Brown disagreed and left the charge at second-degree assault. She also found probable cause to send the case to a Madison Grand Jury.

Thomas is under indictment, Brown said in court, in connection with another violent robbery, unrelated to the Lassiter Drive robbery.

In that case, Thomas is accused of entering JaRu’s New Fashions, 948 Red House Road, on May 18, along with two other men and after a brief argument, demanding money from store employees.

One of the employees was struck with an assault-style rifle. One of the men allegedly used a taser/stun gun type device on another employee.

The men then fled with an undisclosed amount of cash.

If convicted in the JaRu’s New Fashions case, Thomas faces up to 20 years in prison.

If convicted in the home invasion case, he faces up to 40 years in prison.

Should Thomas be convicted of all charges in both cases, he could be sentenced to up to 60 years in prison.

He is being held in the Madison County Detention Center on a $150,000 cash bond.

Domestic violence

A preliminary hearing scheduled for John E. Friend, 43, of Taylors Fork Road, was continued on Wednesday. Friend will be arraigned in district court on Sept. 20, but a new preliminary hearing date has not been set.

Brown scheduled the arraignment so both Friend and his attorney could be present. Friend did not appear in court Wednesday.

He is charged with first-degree sexual abuse, a Class D felony, second-degree domestic violence, a Class C felony and first-degree unlawful imprisonment, a Class D felony.

Friend was arrested after he allegedly assaulted a woman with a pistol at his home Sept. 1. Members of the Madison County Sheriff’s Office contacted the Kentucky State Police Special Response Team, who arrested Friend, after the woman told deputies Friend allegedly had several pistols and long guns in his home, and that he was in a “bad emotional state,” said Sheriff Nelson O’Donnell, in an interview Sept. 1.

If convicted, Friend could face up to 10 years in prison. He is free on a $25,000 cash bond.

Emily Burton may be reached at eburton@richmondregister.com or at 624-6694. Follow Emily on Twitter at, RR_EBurton@twitter.com

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