By: St. Clair Sazam Hull
Nevispages.com
(CHARLESTOWN NEVIS)-The Magistrate Court was filled to capacity on the morning of Tuesday 1, October 2013 as a number of persons were scheduled to appear before Her Honor, Magistrate Yasmine Clarke.
The morning began with Tyrin Browne, a resident of Cotton Ground who pleaded guilty for malicious damage. According to reports, Browne trespassed on the property of Brince Helen Marden located in Cotton Ground on June 24, 2013. When the incident occurred the owner of the property had left the island for a brief period. Upon her return she found that a window to her home had been destroyed.
According to Inspector Steven Hector a report was filed at the Cotton Ground Police Station and the matter was investigated. Upon the reliance of Surveillance Cameras, Browne was seen quite clearly entering the property. After a complete examination of the residence, it also revealed that four of the surveillance cameras were dismantled by the defendant.
In his defense Browne said he was aware of what had transpired but it was not a premeditated act. The defendant told the court that he owned a number of goats and some had strayed from the flock and entered the property. He added that in an effort to find the goats he entered the property.
Browne said that while he is guilty in every sense of the word for destroying the window, he claimed that the window already had minor damage inflicted to it.
The defendant also stated that he dismantled the surveillance cameras because he was trying to protect himself. ‘My reputation is not one of substance’, said Browne ‘and I know if I was caught I would have been penalized because people already view me to be a certain way so I decided to take that escape route’.
After presenting his case the magistrate told Brown it was evident that he was highly intelligent but was using his intelligence for the wrong purposes. Her Honor looked at the defendant and said, ‘I am going to send you to prison for twelve months’. Upon hearing those words Brown pleaded with the magistrate not to have him incarcerated stating that he could not withstand going to prison at this present time.
Her Honor replied and asked Browne if he wished for her to remove the sentence and have him serve six months since this is not his first appearance before the court. The defendant was not in agreement with the Magistrate’s proposal. He said that he did not want to spend any time behind bars. At one point Her Honor seemed as though she was going to give Browne complete leniency. However, a little smirk on his face may have caused her to change her mind. She sentenced him to six months in prison.
The first hearing was followed by a matter that involved larceny. Curtis Carey of Craddock Road gave a guilty plea. He was charged for pilfering a few items from City Drugs Store located on Main Street Charlestown. On August 24, 2013, Carey made his way into the Pharmacy and took one bottle of Cod-liver Oil, one bottle of Seven Seas and a Primrose tablet. Carey was seen on the cameras departing the Drug Store without paying for the items.
A report was made to the Charlestown Police Station, and a search was conducted for Carey. He was found in one of the Gazebos on the Charlestown Waterfront. He was questioned about the stolen goods. The defendant told the police he had given the Items to some friends from Santo Domingo with the promise that they would send some clothes for him in return.
Carey stated that he was marginally under the influence of alcohol when he committed the act and the items were really initially for him. ‘It was the intention to keep the goods for me’, said Carey. He said that after speaking to the persons on the pier they told him that such items in their native land come at a high price. At that point they decided to barter.
The Magistrate, in her judgment, told Cary that she was not going to send him to prison even though he had appeared before the court previously. Her Honor said to Carey that he had been before her for a minor matter. As such then she was going to spare him prison time but he would have to pay a fine. Her Honor told the defendant that he definitely would have to sell some, if not all of the clothes to pay the fine. She ordered him to pay one thousand dollars ($1000.00) in six months or else he would serve six months in prison.
Theodore Williams, of St. Kitts was also in the docket for larceny. On July 8, 2013 the Kittitian entered the City Drugs Store and stole one Listerine and one Seven Seas Capsules from the business place. He too was picked up by the surveillance cameras. A report was immediately made to the Police. Williams, was approached by police officers on the Charlestown Pier and the items were found in his pocket.
Williams pleaded guilty to the charge and was fined one thousand dollars ($1000.00) to be paid in six months. Failure to comply would mean that he would serve six months in prison.