A Guyana Police Force recruit with sticky fingers narrowly escaped a prison sentence yesterday after he was fined for stealing a cell phone.
Nicholas Harvey, who was a recruit for only two weeks, was yesterday accused of stealing a Blu Bold phone, valued $27,000, belonging to Doran LaFleur, on August 14, at the Felix Austin Police Training College.
The 21-year-old pleaded guilty to the charge.
According to the prosecution, LaFleur used the phone to call his mother and then placed it on a table in the barrack room when he went to his bed to fold clothes.
When he returned sometime later his phone was missing. Harvey, of 372 ‘A’ Field, Sophia, said his action was the result of ignorance.
Before handing down her ruling, Magistrate Fabayo Azore stated that she would not remand the defendant to prison based on his age, the fact that it was his first offence and that he appeared to be remorseful for what he did.
He was subsequently fined $50,000 with an alternative of three months in jail if he cannot pay the fine.
