Richardson to spend the next six months doing his laundry behind bars

A man who pleaded guilty to stealing sixty packs of Laundry detergent begged Senior Magistrate Donald Browne not to send him to prison because he was afraid of being sexually abused behind the prison walls.{{more}}

“Don’t send me round. Dem does bull round dey.” This was the cry of Alvan Richardson before he was sentenced to six months imprisonment for having the items in his possession on December 21, 2008, at Kingstown.

The court heard that Richardson, a labourer, of Kingstown, was seen by two police officers walking in the Bedford Street area with a box in his hand. He was approached and questioned about the items in the box but could not give an account of where he got them. He was then taken to the Central Police Station where he was charged.

Richardson, who stepped into the defendant’s box with bare feet and in dirty garb, told the Magistrate that he was taking care of a child and had the Roma Breeze detergent with which to bathe her.

The question was raised about his sanity, but the court stated that he had previous brushes with the law. A medical report claimed that he only acts in a delusional manner when he appears in court. (KW)