“Meh worship, I de trying to get a passage fuh go back to Berbice,” was the explanation given to Magistrate Hazel Octave-Hamilton when she enquired from a man his reason for stealing four kitchen knives from Guyana Stores Limited.
Derrick Persaud who was subsequently given a six-month prison sentence accepted the simple larceny charge which stated that on August 12 at Guyana Stores Ltd, he stole four kitchen knives valued $2,450, property of the said store.
When given a chance to speak, the defendant said that he did commit the offence. The Berbice resident went on to say that he later asked the security guard on duty who had arrested him for a chance to pay for the items but his request was denied.
When asked what he was going to do with the knives, the defendant who constantly begged for lenience told Magistrate Octave-Hamilton, “Meh worship, I de trying to get a passage fuh go back to Berbice.”
In presenting the facts of the case, police sergeant Lionel Harvey told the court that on the day in question at about 11:20 hrs, the defendant was in the store when he picked up the four kitchen knives and placed them into his back pants pocket but he was seen by the security guard.
Moments, later as he walked past the cashier and proceeded to exit the store, Harvey related that he was confronted by the guard and arrested.
The court then heard that Persaud was taken to a mobile police outpost with the stolen items in his possession and charges were laid against him.
Just before sentence was handed down, Persaud suggested to the magistrate that she should give him a custodial sentence of four to seven days.
The magistrate however informed the defendant that he could be imprisoned on the charge for as much as 18 months but she was going to give him six months instead.
