AIDS victim jailed

Chief Magistrate Sonya Young sentenced David Deane, a labourer of Georgetown, to eight months imprisonment after he pleaded guilty to a burglary charge on Wednesday at the Serious Offences Court.{{more}}

Deane was charged with entering the dwelling house of Alban Bowman of Calliaqua on April 22, 2008.

The court heard that Bowman had secured his home and gone away that morning. On his return home at about 12:15pm that same day, he turned on the television and then proceeded to the dining room. While going there he saw the defendant coming out of one the bedrooms with a knife in his hand. Bowman asked Deane what he was doing there. Deane did not reply and ran.

Bowman gave chase and shouted for help. A man, who was on a nearby truck joined in the chase and helped Bowman to apprehend Deane.

In his explanation to the court, Deane told Chief Magistrate Young that he has been living with AIDS for over ten years and every time he looks for work, he is turned away because of his condition. “Me car geh no wuk and me ain really carry nuting from the man house. All I find is the knife,” he stated. (KW)