A miner who initially pleaded “guilty with explanation”, was remanded to prison yesterday, after he was charged for stealing a bicycle.
The charge read to John Brooms, 43, by Magistrate Faith McGusty at the Georgetown Magistrates’ Court, alleged that on January 15, at D’Urban Street, Georgetown, he stole a bicycle valued $30,000 from William King.
After pleading “guilty with explanation” to the charge, Brooms said he didn’t steal the bicycle but merely picked it up from a corner and rode it to the next corner.
He then got off the bicycle and waited for King to come and retrieve the bicycle. The reason behind his actions, Brooms explained, was because earlier, King had taken away his amplifier and all of his money.
The police prosecutor, however, said that on the alleged date, Brooms was seen entering King’s garage. King was alerted by eyewitnesses and he immediately went to the garage but by the time he got there, Brooms was already riding out the gate on the bicycle. King quickly went after Brooms and caught him and took the bicycle back.
Furthermore, the prosecutor objected to bail because Brooms failed to give the exact location of his residence in Mahdia.
Brooms was remanded to prison and is scheduled to reappear in court on January 30.
