Security guard steals shoes needed for her uniform

A security guard who worked with Premium Security Services Ltd for 13 years has confessed to stealing a pair of shoes that she needed to wear as part of her uniform.

Thirty-four year old Asha Lewis, the mother of a 14-year-old, appeared before the Kingstown Magistrate’s Court and Senior Magistrate Rickie Burnett for stealing a pair of Reebok sneakers worth $125 from Jax Enterprises Ltd.

After admitting to this theft, the security guard, who was wearing a white polo shirt, black pants and black shoes, wiped her eyes as she spoke with the magistrate.

She had been caught on CCTV placing the footwear in her backpack at the Kingstown store on July 17. The security officer at Jax Enterprises had been warned about her by another employee, from an alleged previous incident, and had taken note of her face.

It is said that this previous incident related to uniforms as well.

The magistrate told her that he noticed that the pair of shoes stolen was similar to what she was wearing in court.

The defendant told him that the ones she was wearing were old and had burst. She told him that employees are required to buy their own uniform, and when asked, replied that she makes $700 a month after the National Insurance Services(NIS) payment is taken out.

“While all those things may be true, that is no justification for stealing,” the judicial officer told her.

“I know sir,” she replied.

“None whatsoever,” Burnett said. He commented that persons now seem to be making a case for stealing depending on what it is that is stolen. The magistrate noted that it appears that when the item is food, society is accepting this.

“But stealing remains the same: wrong,” he commented.

He asked her if she wore the shoe to work following the theft, and she said she did wear it to work.

She wanted to be able to pay for it, but the magistrate told her that she should have done this when she was in the store. “Clearly she had a need for a shoe but that’s not how you,” do things, he stated.

He mused that it was clear that her salary was not enough to take care of her. “Sad case, I must confess…Sad case,” Burnett noted, as Lewis shed tears.

The magistrate contemplated whether she would indeed lose her job, commenting that some persons he sees working in security companies are known to him.

However, he was informed that there didn’t seem to be a chance that Lewis would be able to keep her job and that the company was strict.

“Look at what you have done,” Burnett said to the defendant. She had disgraced herself and caused the police to go to Georgetown to search her, he stated.

“I want you to stop this because if you don’t stop you may go to prison,” the magistrate warned, before ordering compensation by August 7, 2020 or a default of one month incarceration.

A confiscation order was made for the item.