Pensioner on Bail for $1.75M House Lot Fraud
August 18 2025
A 72-year-old pensioner from North Ruimveldt,Georgetown, who has faced the courts on multiple occasions over the past decade for fraud and larceny-related allegations, was on Friday granted $100,000 bail after being charged with obtaining $1.75 million under false pretence.
Norman Phillips appeared before Magistrate Annette Singh at the Georgetown Magistrates’ Court, where he pleaded not guilty to the charge.
The allegation is that on December 27, 2024, at Avenue of the Republic, Georgetown, Phillips, with intent to defraud, obtained $1.75 million from Lawrence Lorimer by falsely claiming that he was able to secure a house lot for him, when in fact he was not in a position to do so.
Attorney Casside Nurse, representing Phillips, told the court that her client is a pensioner with no convictions, suffers from medical complications, and is on prescribed medication.
She noted that he had been released on station bail and had reported to the police daily since the charge was laid.
Nurse further said Phillips was in active discussions with the virtual complainant to settle the matter, and his brother had agreed to repay the funds on his behalf.
She told the court that an arrangement had been reached for $500,000 to be paid by the upcoming Wednesday, with the balance to be repaid before the end of the month. Lorimer, though reluctant, agreed to the plan.
The prosecutor objected to bail, citing inconsistencies in the address Phillips provided to police, the seriousness and prevalence of the offence, the amount involved, and the fact that Phillips has another pending matter before the court.
After hearing the submissions, Magistrate Singh granted Phillips $100,000 bail and adjourned the matter to August 20, 2025, when the first repayment is expected.
Phillips is no stranger to the judicial system. In 2017, he was remanded to prison by Magistrate Judy Latchman after being accused of stealing over $2 million in property—including a Bedford truck, a winch, a battery, and a quantity of wares—from his employer, Aubrey Barnwell.
He denied the allegation, claiming nothing in his home matched the value of the missing property, but was remanded until March 20 that year. The outcome of the matter is unclear.
Earlier, in 2012, Phillips was charged with obtaining $170,000 from overseas-based Guyanese Harold Carr by pretending to be employed by the Central Housing and Planning Authority and able to secure a house lot.
He was placed on $250,000 bail, ordered to lodge his passport, and report weekly to the Criminal Investigations Department. That case’s resolution is also unknown.
