Thomas: ‘I just wanted to look good for the women in town’

Nothing’s wrong with dressing your best to look good for the ladies, and that’s what Shawn Thomas did, but sadly the clothes he wore that day did not belong to him.{{more}}

Thomas was hauled before the Serious Offences Court on Monday to answer a charge of theft. He pleaded guilty.

However, he was not sent to jail, but was admitted to the Mental Health Centre for observation.

Thomas, a labourer of Arnos Vale who lived in North America for a number of years, was arrested and charged with entering the dwelling home of his father and stealing a quantity of clothing, including a pair of short jeans pants, a pair of Timberland boots, one baseball cap and a jersey amounting to over $500.

The court heard that Thomas’ father secured his house on January 17 at about 6pm and went to church. On his return about 8:30pm he noticed that his house had been broken into and the items were missing.

Investigations were carried out, which led to Thomas’ arrest. Only the pair of Timberland boots was recovered.

In a sharp American accent, Thomas explained to the court that he had only gone to the house to take a shower. “I just wanted to look good for the women in town that day.”

The smoke finally cleared as to the motive behind Thomas’ raid. His father, who was present in the courtroom said that Thomas has a serious drug addiction and had broken into his home before and assaulted him.

Dressed in a Hawaiian shirt and a pair of long, well seamed trousers, the elder man painfully took the stand and asked the Magistrate not to send his son to prison but rather to the Mental Health Centre. “Send him to the mental asylum for about six months so he can recuperate. Sending him to prison does not make any sense,” he said.

The father said that Thomas has brought vagrants off the streets to his home on several occasions. He also strongly recommended that a rehabilitation centre be built here to help drug addicts like his son.

Prosecutor Station Sergeant Butcher endorsed Thomas’ father’s point and asked that he be sent at the Mental Asylum for observation.

Magistrate Young agreed and sent Thomas to the Asylum for a two-week observation period, by which time a report will be furnished and he would be properly sentenced.(KW)