Bail set at $15,000 for bank robbery suspect
Appearing sullen and weak on his feet, Delroy G. Henry leaned his temple on the thick glass partition separating him from the open courtroom. He listened as his lawyer gave the court a glimpse of his client’s life in the past two years.
A motorcycle accident about two years ago paralyzed Henry’s left arm. He was laid off from his job. And he was in the clutches of depression, his court-appointed lawyer, Francis DiMento, told Dedham District Court Judge Mary Hogan Sullivan.
DiMento said Henry, the 34-year-old man accused of trying to rob a Citizen’s Bank in Dedham Tuesday morning, is married, has a 9-year-old daughter, and no criminal record. He is accustomed to supporting his family, his lawyer said.
“This incident is totally out of character,’’ DiMento said.
Henry rested his weight on the partition, staggered backwards, and with the help of a court officer, sat down. The arraignment was suspended out of concern for his health, but an hour later, the suspect returned, with a new court-appointed lawyer, Beverly J. Cannone. She replaced DiMento, who had appeared only to argue bail.
Hogan Sullivan set Henry’s bail at $15,000. As he was led away, Henry turned to several family members sitting in the courtroom and lazily waved at them. They returned the gesture. After the hearing, they declined to comment.
Henry, who lives in Dorchester, was charged with four counts each of kidnapping and assault with a deadly weapon. He was also charged with attempted bank robbery. According to a police report, the suspect was wearing a suit and tie when he overpowered a female bank employee Tuesday morning and forced his way into the bank before it opened. He corralled several employees and told them he had a gun, according to the report.
One of the bank employees sent a text message to another branch about the robbery, and when Henry noticed that police had surrounded the bank within 10 minutes, he dumped what police said was a pellet gun in a bank trash bin and walked outside, where he was arrested.
While in custody, he cut his wrist, which delayed his arraignment until yesterday.
There have been at least six bank robberies in Wellesley, Newton, Dedham, and other nearby communities in the past year and even more robberies, both armed and unarmed of other businesses in the same area during the same time span, say authorities. Henry has not been named a suspect in any of those other crimes.
Federal authorities and local police say drugs often drive bank robberies, but increasingly they are citing the economy as the tipping point.
Henry worked for several years at the Sentient Flight Group, a charter plane company in Weymouth, and took pride in providing for his wife and child, but was laid off several months ago. He worked briefly earlier this year as a car salesman for Boch
Cannone said: “The guy’s never been in trouble before. It’s sad for everyone involved.’’
