(Trinidad Express) A woman who stole money from an ice-cream parlor has been ordered to repay the establishment.
Grace Martin was also fined for the offence as she appeared before San Fernando senior magistrate Jo-Anne Connor.
It was at 11 a.m. on April 20 that the senior manager at Munch Kings Ice-cream detected that $5,745 was missing from the safe at its Marabella outlet. It represented sales from between April 16 to 20, police prosecutor Cleyon Seedan said.
A report was made to constable Mahabir who met Martin at the Marabella police station. She told him she had a financial problem and had borrowed money from a money lender and interest had accrued. She also said, “Ah became frustrated and take the money (from the company) thinking to put it back before they notice.”
Martin’s attorney said that the mother of two had no previous or pending matters before the court. He said a gambling problem led to her taking the money. He explained that her gambling started off as recreational but turned into a chronic vice. He said Martin was willing to attend an anonymous gambling group and also to repay the money.
Connor told her that she had to work on her difficulty or she would slip into deeper financial difficulty.
She considered the attorney’s submissions and also that Martin had entered a guilty plea as she fined her $2,500 for the offence. In default of paying the money, Martin will serve four months in prison.
Martin was also ordered to compensate the parlour in the sum of $5,745 or serve six weeks simple imprisonment.
The money was ordered to be paid in two months.
