Elderly man who chalked up his first conviction, must pay compensation

A 60-year-old man who stole a suitcase thereby gaining his first criminal record assured the court last Friday that he would stop drinking. 

David Sprott claimed he was not in his right senses when he stole the US$100 black suitcase belonging to Kevin Thom of Cane Garden on November 4. 

He informed Senior Magistrate, Rickie Burnett in the Kingstown Magistrates Court (KMC), that he usually drinks but assured the judicial officer that he was going to stop. 

“I decide to stop all now” he responded to the magistrate’s question when was he going to do so.
According to the facts outlined in court, Sprott and Thom do not know each other personally, but Thom would see Sprott loitering on a property opposite his house. 

At 7:35a.m on November 4, Thom and his family left the house and were in their vehicle about to leave their property when Thom noticed that some of his belongings in the driveway had been displaced. This observation still bothered him while he was at work, so he decided to go home at lunchtime to check. When he arrived there at 12:20p.m he saw a suitcase that he had been keeping in an area of his yard sticking out behind a wall of his driveway. It appeared as though someone was holding it. 

Thom began honking his horn demanding the person to come out. Sprott emerged, holding the suitcase, and was then “chased” out of the yard. The homeowner alighted his vehicle and checked, noticing that the suitcase was missing and items thrown on the ground.

The offence was reported, and investigated by the police. Sprott was arrested and admitted to taking the suitcase. 

In court last Friday, Sprott was asked where the suitcase is right now, and he replied that after taking it away “I had some fruit inside there, like mangoes and…”

When asked, he admitted that also got the fruits from Thom’s yard. 

According to him the suitcase was not in a good condition. 

However, Sprott acknowledged: “number one I should not take it. Number two I should not take it away out of the man property …”

“Hold on; number three you should not have been there,” the magistrate interjected. 

During sentencing it was also pointed out that because the police had not recovered the suitcase this would go against the defendant. However, Sprott highlighted to the magistrate that he took back the shoes. 

“…You took the man shoes as well?” Burnett asked him. 

The prosecutor confirmed that, “He took some shoes out the yard, your honour.”

The defendant, who during his exchange before the court also described himself as being capable and honest, was told that he would have to pay compensation of $270 for the suitcase.

He assured the court that he would be able to pay this by the end of “this month here” because his sister is coming home from Barbados for Christmas, “and she love me so much,” he said, becoming briefly emotional. 

He promised that this would be the case. 

“Mr Sprott don’t do this again, don’t do it. Don’t do it,” the magistrate told him. 

The compensation is to be paid by January 14, 2022, or Sprott will spend two months in prison. A bond of $1500 was also signed, and if he breaches this bond he must pay the sum forthwith or spend six months in prison.