Two men jointly charged for stealing $365,000 worth of electrical appliances appeared yesterday before Acting Chief Magistrate Melissa Robertson at the Georgetown Magistrate’s Court to answer the charge of simple larceny.
One pleaded guilty while the other denied the allegation.
The allegation is that on October 9 at Georgetown, Mark July, 39, a labourer of 164 Charlotte Street and 30-year-old Jomo Singh, also a labourer, who has no fixed place of abode stole items valued $365,000, property of Reeaz Khan.
“My Worship, me en gun waste yuh time, I thief the electrical appliances indeed. Me en beating round the bush I telling yuh straight, is me,” July declared.
He explained to the court that on the day in question, a cargo container was parked in front of the virtual complainant’s (VC) residence and while it was being unloaded by labourers who were working for Khan, he seized the opportunity to steal a number of household appliances including microwaves, and a small bedroom refrigerator.
July explained that it was not very challenging to steal the items since the labourers thought that he was just another worker assisting in offloading the container. The defendant said that after acquiring what he wanted, he summoned a taxi to have the items removed.
It was at this point that suspicions were raised and the defendant was held and taken into custody.
July added that after an alarm was raised, the taxi driver drove away with all the items he had packed into the trunk of the car.
“My Worship imagine I ent even get the tings eh, de taxi man end up driving away with them,” July remarked.
He went on to say that Singh with whom he had been jointly charged was totally innocent of the charges. “My Worship, this man [Singh] en no bout nothing is I do all the thiefing by meself, nobody en help me or nothing.”
When given a chance to respond, Singh said that he was a labourer assisting with the offloading of the container and had absolutely nothing to do with the theft.
The virtual complainant was not present in court.
The prosecution corroborated what July had said, adding that the items were not recovered.
July was later sentenced to 18 months imprisonment while Singh’s matter was dismissed.
