Magistrate Ann McLennan discharged the simple larceny case against Selwyn Lancaster for want of prosecution, when he appeared in the Christianburg Magistrates’ Court on Tuesday.
The case had been prolonged due to the consistent absence of the virtual complainant Zehye Liang.
Lancaster, 37, of 131 Wis-Roc Housing Scheme, Wismar, Linden was charged with simple larceny shortly after a fire of suspicious origin gutted the property of Venus Clarke along Republic Avenue, Mackenzie, Linden, on May 18, 2011. At that time, the building housed Digicel’s flagship store for Linden and the Zehye Liang Garment store in the bottom flat.
Lancaster was the caretaker for the building and he occupied the upper storey, part of which he shared with Liang. It was alleged that on May 7, at Republic Avenue, Mackenzie, Linden, Lancaster stole a quantity of clothing and haberdashery valued $707,100 from Liang’s store. Liang had provided a video recording of Lancaster entering his store via an internal stairway the night prior to the fire.
Police investigations led to the discovery of a large quantity of items suspected to have belonged to the Chinese national, at a building in Wismar Street where Lancaster operated an IT training School. Lancaster was then charged with simple larceny. Also, on the night prior to the fire, the VC and accused had allegedly engaged in a verbal attack about the alleged theft, which had first been called in the Georgetown Magistrates’ Court for which Lancaster was remanded. He was subsequently released on bail and the matter transferred to Linden.
A freed Lancaster said that he has returned to his job and is getting his life back on track. He also said he plans to uplift his goods from the Linden police and close that chapter of his life.
