Kevon Williams, a 25-year-old Richland Park man who sought to deprive a woman of several household items, to the tune of EC$724.99, shipped to her for Christmas, was jailed for one year on Tuesday.
Senior Magistrate Colin John handed down the penalty at the Kingstown Magistrate Court after Williams pleaded guilty to stealing the items.
Among the items stolen, were foodstuff, clothes, kitchen utensils, soap, and body lotions.
The items were recovered due to the quick action of Constable Trimmingham 119, attached to the Port detail.
In presenting the facts, Prosecutor Corlene Samuel told the Court that around 5:45 a.m. on December 10, PC Trimmingham was on patrol duty at the Geest shed.
While patrolling an area forwhere barrels and packages, mainly from Canada, were stored, Trimmingham saw the defendant dressed in a black hoody, red vest, and short pants standing under one of the lights. He was removing items from a box shipped from Canada to someone her and was packing them in a sack and book bag.
The officer approached, shouted ‘Police’ and grabbed him.
He then contacted the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) for assistance, but while waiting on CID Williams escaped his grasp and ran.
An alarm was raised and police officers went looking for Williams. They were able to apprehend him, and he was taken to CID. The items were recovered and handed over to CID, and Williams gave a statement, under caution, admitting to the offense.
In handing down the penalty, the Senior Magistrate weighed the mitigating factors against the aggravating ones.
In highlighting the aggravating factors, John stressed there was some level of planning, preparation, and decision-making carried out by the defendant in commission of the crime.
For the mitigating, John noted that Williams showed remorse and appeared to be not beyond redemption.
Williams also received a one-third discount for his early guilty plea.
The penalty was the first prison sentence to be handed down by Senior Magistrate Colin John.