Unlucky seven: I wanted to sell them to buy medication

Seven is described as the lucky number but for Junior Providence it is the number of theft and burglary charges slapped on him.

The 23-year-old Hospital Road resident pleaded guilty to the seven charges at the Kingstown Magistrates Court on Wednesday after entering a number of business places around Kingstown. {{more}}

In the initial stages the 23 year-old man pled guilty to five of the charges but changed his not guilty pleas to guilty on Wednesday. He said that he pleaded guilty to them because he wanted to have the matter over with quickly.

He is charged with entering Trend Offshore Bank between the 27th and 28th of December and stealing a quantity of articles valued at $3681.48. He was also charged with stealing a quantity of clothing from the number 40 Boutique in the Central Market valued at $6830. Providence also pleaded guilty to stealing a Dell computer from the Kingstown Fish Market valued $3699. Between December 25th and 31st he was also charged for entering Eugene Branch’s home at New Montrose, Stall K16, number 29 Boutique of the Central Market. All the items, which were reported stolen amounted to a grand total of over $33,000.

In his statement to the police, he said that on the 31st at about 4.30 pm he was running along the street because his foot had been damaged and he wanted to exercise it. Providence said on reaching the National Commercial Bank area, it started raining and while sheltering, he saw a window at the left side of the market opened. He said that he climbed over the gate and looked inside and saw a black travelling bag on the second floor. Providence told the officers that he saw that clothes were in the bag and that he took it up. He said he decided to take a further look around the market and saw some shoes on the ground next to one of the stalls. He claimed to only have taken three pairs of slippers and not the shoes.

“When I went outside I met this guy who tell me give him $50 or else he would talk, so I gave him the money.”

Standing before Acting Senior Magistrate Donald Browne he said “I did this act because my girlfriend is sick and I want to help her. That’s why I stole the clothes. I only wanted to sell the clothes to get medication for her,” explained Providence.

Magistrate Browne however was confused by Providence’s explanation when he said he did not take all the items and that he only pled guilty because he wanted to have the matter resolved quickly. He was remanded to Her Majesty’s Prison until the February 13th when he will be sentenced.