The burglarizing of peoples’ homes have been causing a lot of emotional distress to those targeted, with some of the affected persons needing counselling.
The remark came from Chief Magistrate Rechanne Browne at the Serious Offences Court on Monday before she sentenced 48-year-old Edwin Caine of Arnos Vale to 28 months in prison for burglary.
The Magistrate said that a person’s home is their castle, and persons must be able to live in comfort in their own homes.
Caine was charged with entering the dwelling house of Modesto Joseph of Arnos Vale as a trespasser, and stealing one black 55-inch Samsung Smart Television valued US$1,000, one black WAHL Trimming machine set US$40, one pack gillette shaver and blade valued US$10, one black angle 3 bluetooth speaker valued US$20, one multi-purpose tool set valued US$15, two jerseys values US$10, one black Samsung cellular phone valued EC$300, one Vaseline intensive care body lotion valued EC$10, one plaid short pants valued EC$20, four packs of matches valued EC$4, three Eveready double-A batteries valued EC$5, one white handle knife valued EC$8, and one blue flashlight valued EC$15.
The total value of the items amounted to US$1,095 and EC$362.
The offence was committed at Arnos Vale on November 4, 2021.
Caine pleaded guilty when he appeared at the Serious Offences Court on Monday. He was unrepresented. Constable 540 Darell Sam, of the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) arrested Caine on November 4, while investigating a report of burglary at the Buildings, Roads and General Services Authority (BRAGSA) office at Arnos Vale. During the investigation, a microwave, one of the items reported stolen from BRAGSA, was recovered in a shallow hole behind Caine’s house in Arnos Vale.
On November 4 around 12:15pm, the police at CID received information that Caine was walking along the public road in Arnos Vale with a black television and a backpack.
PC Sam and other police officers were dispatched on duty in search of the defendant. At around 12:40pm on the same date, PC Sam and Corporal 296 Davis saw Caine walking through some bushes behind the office of the ruling Unity Labour Party (ULP) at Arnos Vale, with a backpack on his back. They approached the defendant who, it appeared, had seen the police, for he began running.
Corporal Davis and PC Sam gave chase and Caine was later apprehended in an area above Sunrise Supermarket in Arnos Vale.
PC Sam identified himself and Corporal Caine as police officers, and a search was conducted of Caine’s person and the backpack he was carrying, during which a quantity of items were uncovered, including a Matouk peanut butter, a white handle knife, one hammer, one cutlass, a blue flashlight, a black and silver WAHL trimming machine, a black Samsung cellular phone, one Vaseline body lotion, spray, black angle 3 bluetooth speaker, a pack of gillette shaver and blade, a pack of razor blades, three double-A Eveready batteries, along with blue jerseys, and plaid short pants. $350 was found in his right pants pocket.
Later that day, the 55-inch television was recovered in the porch of an abandoned two-storey wall house in Arnos Vale.
Joseph, who had already reported the burglary to the police, identified most of the items to be his, and later that day PC Sam charged Caine with burglarizing Joseph’s home.
Samantha Toussaint of BRAGSA was also invited to the station, and she identified the peanut butter to be one of the items stolen from BRAGSA.
Caine gave a statement, admitting to the burglary at Joseph’s home, and was charged with that offence. He was also interviewed with respect of handling stolen goods, but gave no written statement. He was, however, subsequently charged with that offence.
Caine told the Court that he had borrowed the cutlass, knife and hammer from a man at Arnos Vale, and had them in his bag. He said the $350 was to pay his rent.
Caine said he was the father of a girl, age 13, and a boy age 10. He had several previous convictions of a similar nature.