9 years for theft and trespassing

Desmond Baptiste will spend the next four years of his life in prison after he pleaded guilty to stealing over $5,000 worth of goods and trespassing. He appeared at the Kingstown Magistrate’s Court on Wednesday, 27 May, 2009.{{more}}

Baptiste, 42, was charged with the theft of a fairly large quantity of items between May 9 and 10, 2009, May 13 and 14, 2009, and on 22nd May, 2009. Baptiste pleaded guilty to all charges.

Baptiste was charged with stealing EC$1,342.77 worth of goods, including a radio, a quantity of food, pesticides and $500 in cash from the Redemption Christian Fellowship Church at Lowmans Hill.

He was also charged with entering the Finance Recovery Unit of the First St. Vincent Bank Limited and stealing a Dell laptop, a black printer cord, a digital camera, a kettle, a transformer and $50 cash. The value of the stolen items was $4,375.15.

During the same period, Baptiste also damaged a silver Nuvico camera valued at $995, the property of Julius Williams of Questelles. According to facts read in court, Baptiste entered the WE FM building in Kingstown, saw the security camera and ripped it from a wall.

He was also charged with trespassing on the property of Shirley Charles of Lowmans Hill on 22nd May, 2009, with the intent to steal. Baptiste’s efforts were however, thwarted when villagers caught him, and according to what was revealed in court, tied him up inside of the building.

Baptiste was sentenced to three years for stealing from the church, four years for stealing from the bank, and one year each for trespassing on the property of Shirley Charles, and one year for the damage of the security camera at WE FM. The sentences will run concurrently.(OS)