“I see he wearing meh baseball cap, meh jersey and meh boots,” stated Christopher North who had over $2.6 million in clothes, stereo system and other items stolen from his dwelling house while he was out of the country.
When Acting Chief Magistrate Melissa Robertson read the charge, 32-year-old Devon Rodney, of 177 James and Albouys streets, Albouystown, pleaded guilty to the charge of break and enter and larceny, while, Quacy Howes, 22, of Rasville Squatting Area; Robert Noble, 37, of 162 North Ruimveldt and Neville Haynes, 29, of 419 North/East La Penitence all pleaded not guilty.
It is alleged that between November 7 and December 20, Rodney, Howes, Noble and Haynes broke and entered the dwelling house of North and stole two five-piece music sets, a quantity of gents clothing, ten bottles of cologne, one television, ten pairs of sneakers and several caps, totalling over $2.6 million.
Yesterday Howes’s lawyer applied for a speedy trial for him. The lawyer said that “almost six days ago he [Howes] was allegedly kidnapped” and was later handed over to he police where he received a severe beating. The defence attorney then applied for bail.
Meanwhile, North who was also in court said that he had left the country for 13 days and on his return he found his home broken into and the items mentioned in the charge missing. He said that he contacted the police and made a report.
He went on to say that some days after he called a friend and when the friend arrived he was wearing a pair of the stolen sneakers. He said when he asked the friend where he had got the sneakers from, the friend told him that he had bought them from someone in Leopold Street.
North said he traced some of his things from Leopold Street to Rasville. He said when he went to Leopold Street, he saw Rodney wearing his baseball cap, his jersey and his sneakers. He said that he called Rodney over to him and Rodney in turn confessed to the break-in.
However, Rodney told the court, “I get lash to me head and I get blackout and when I wake up I deh at de back of a car in Rasville”. He then admitted to breaking into North’s home. However, he later stated, “I ain’t really remember what happen, he [North] lash me and bust up meh head.”
The magistrate then entered a not guilty plea for Rodney.
Noble told the court that he got involved in the situation when Howes gave him two stereo sets to sell in order to repay a debt that he had with him. He said he did not know anything about the break-in nor did he know that the music sets were stolen.
Haynes then told the court, “I did walking on de road when Quacy [Howes] call me and tell me fuh help he put a flat screen TV at de back of a car, then I go on meh way.”
However, the prosecution stated that Rodney, Howes and Noble had similar matters before the court in the past and that if they were granted bail they may continue such acts. The prosecution then noted that the television, two pairs of sneakers and one of the stereo sets were recovered.
The magistrate subsequently ordered that Rodney be remanded to prison while she placed Howes, Noble and Haynes on $200,000 bail each. She then ordered that all four of them return to court on January 13, 2009.
