Long Wall man jailed for theft

Two years and five months was the prison sentence handed down to a Long Wall man who admitted to stealing over $62,000 in cash and goods from two businesses in Kingstown.

Last November, Recardo Bacchus was jointly charged with Leon Samuel and Kirk Williams of New Montrose and Sion Hill on three counts of burglary.

However, when they appeared before magistrate Bertie Pompey at the Kingstown Magistrate’s Court on November 22, 2016, Bacchus pleaded guilty, while his co-accused pleaded not guilty.

Sentencing in the matter was deferred until Monday, June 19, 2017.

They were charged that between November 10 and 11, 2016 at Kingstown they entered the Majestic Express building as trespassers and stole EC$7,095.52 in cash and goods.

Their haul included $4,800 in cash, plus cologne, shoes, shorts, T-shirts, jewellery, books, smartphones and other electronic devices.

The trio were also charged that between October 26 and 28, 2016 at Middle Street, Kingstown, they entered the Fred J Dare & Co Limited Store as trespassers and stole cash and items valued at EC$27,886.

Stolen was EC$5,000 in cash, more than 1,000 ladies’ panties, electronics, travelling bags, men’s underwear and watches.

They are also charged that on October 14, 2016 at Kingstown, they entered the Fred J Dare and Co Ltd Store as trespasser and stole the sums of EC$23,267 and US$1,450 in cash, the property of Mona Dare of Cane Garden.

However, only Bacchus faced jail time on Monday.

According to police, the crimes were committed after the owners of the stores had secured their business places. The burglars entered the roof of Fred J Dare.

However, when asked if he had something to say before his sentencing, Bacchus told the magistrate, “I was there, but I had nothing to do with it.”

Before sentencing, Pompey said he took Bacchus’ guilty plea into consideration; however, that was the only thing to his credit. He said that while the aggravating factors outweigh the mitigating factors, he also took into account the seven months that Bacchus had already spent in prison. Bacchus was sentenced to three years in prison on each count of burglary, but the sentences will run concurrently.

Pompey, however, assured Bacchus that the sentence would have been more severe if he had pleaded not guilty.

Meanwhile, Samuel and Williams will reappear before the court on September 18, 2017.(AS)