Magistrate: You can’t be rehabilitated, you gone too far!

“You can’t be rehabilitated, you gone too far, we can’t deter you cause you been to jail already, so to prevent you from stealing we have to lock you up!”{{more}}

Senior Magistrate Donald Browne used these words when handing down an 18-month prison sentence to Desmond Baptiste of Sandy Bay, who pleaded guilty to entering the property of Saunders and Huggins as a trespasser and stealing a quantity of items valued at $1105; for entering the store of Carlos Williams as a trespasser and stealing a quantity of articles amounting to $4,736 and for damaging one cash register and a glass door with a total value of $1205.

“How many years do you want me to give you?” Browne asked Baptiste on Monday.

“Since it’s the first time before you, I ask that you give me 2 to 3 years sir,” Baptiste replied.

Reports indicated that the complainant secured the building around 5:15 p.m. on November 23 before leaving. When the complainant returned around 8am on the 24th, he discovered that the door to the store was smashed, some articles were missing and the cash register damaged.

Baptiste was given 6 months for damaging the property, 1 year for stealing the articles and 18 months for entering the Saunders and Huggins building. All the charges are to run concurrently.

Baptiste is known to have a number of convictions against him from as early as 1988. (SB)