Bond set for 3 suspects in brutal home invasion

WILSON JR. Three young men accused of participating in a brutal home invasion and robbery last April were granted bond Wednesday in Cherokee County General Sessions Court.

Robert Wilson Jr., 19, Kendrick Rashad Tate, 18, and Kwame Douglas 17, all had been denied bond last July. Circuit Court Judge Mark Hayes had opened the door for reconsideration of his ruling after 90 days.

All were granted bond amounts of $30,000 each following a Wednesday hearing before Circuit Court Judge Paul Burch, who denied a request by Deputy Solicitor Barry Barnette that all three men be fitted with some type of monitoring devices when they get out.

Barnette requested the extra measure after bond was granted to make sure none of the men had any contact with the victim.

The judge did give a strong warning that the men should not have any contact with the victim and he said all would be subject to a 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. curfew upon their release.

"Do not give any reason for Mr. Barnette to file a petition (to revoke bond) with this court," he warned the three men.

Altogether, the Gaffney Police Department charged eight men with the April 2 home invasion of a Providence Road home and the burglary of a next-door business.

TATE All eight men are charged with kidnapping, armed robbery, assault and battery of a high and aggravated nature, burglary and grand larceny.

Police claimed several of the eight men forced their way into the Providence Road home at night, held a 32- year-old woman at gunpoint and knifepoint, assaulted her and then stole keys to a nearby convenience store, which they burglarized of several thousand dollars.

"She (the victim) is scared for her life," Barnette told the judge.

The victim did not appear in court and Barnette said her life has been altered immeasurably to the point she had bars placed on her windows.

Defense attorneys for Wilson, Douglas and Tate argued before Burch their clients had little or no involvement.

Tate's attorney said his only involvement was to give someone a ride and that he had no knowledge about what was taking place. "He got tied up with some wrong people at the wrong time," the attorney said of Tate, who was attending Wingate University when he was arrested.

DOUGLAS No statements place Tate in the home or committing any of the acts of which he is accused, the attorney added.

Wilson's attorney said Wilson was only a "peripheral" friend of the other people charged and his only involvement was giving someone else a ride in his car. Wilson allegedly was talking with his girlfriend on a cell phone during the time the incident occurred, the attorney added.

"This was totally, totally, totally out of character for this young man," the attorney said of the charges against Wilson.