Senior Magistrate Colin John has stressed the need for business places in St. Vincent and the Grenadines to be protected from thieves.
John’s comments came on Monday after he imposed two fines and a bond on Daimen Williams of Old Montrose, who pleaded guilty to stealing three bottles of Sunset Strong Rum from Massy Stores, Stoney Ground.
Williams was fined $300 to be paid in one month or three months in prison for stealing a bottle of Sunset Strong Rum valued at EC$44.24 from that supermarket on January 30.
He was also fined $300 to be paid in one month or three months in prison for stealing two bottles of Sunset Strong Rum, valued at EC$113.38 from the same store on February 5.
In addition, he was bonded for one year in the sum of $300 or three months in prison.
But Williams could have received a stiffer penalty if his conviction record was before the Court.
“If the conviction record was there I would have dealt with you harder because the business people need to be protected,” the Magistrate told the defendant.
John said that these businesses have to pay their staff and electricity bills, among other things, while suffering at the hands of thieves.
“I think some of these business places should take pictures of persons like you (defendant), and place them in conspicuous positions in the store so people could see who the shoplifters are,” the Magistrate told Williams.
When John questioned him about his action, Williams said he didn’t have money to which the Magistrate responded, “Because you don’t have money, you just go into people’s place and pick up their things?’
He told the defendant, “They (businesses) have to pay workers, they have to pay VINLEC. You can’t just go into the people’s place and pick up the people’s things like is yours.”
The facts, presented earlier by Prosecutor Corlene Samuel, showed that on January 31, around 4:05 p.m., the virtual complainant, a security guard, was in her office at the store reviewing the camera footage for January 30, and observed the defendant picking up a bottle of Sunset Strong Rum, following which he went to the back of the Supermarket, and placed it in his back pack and walked out of the business place without paying for it. The complainant made note of the incident and reported it to her supervisor.
On February 5, about 4:10 p.m., the complainant was at work patrolling the ground floor of the supermarket when she observed the defendant, whom she recognized from the same security footage, standing close to the exit door of the supermarket beyond the cashiers. He wore his back pack on his back. The complainant approached him and requested a search of his person, to which he consented, and two bottles of Sunset strong rum were found in his back pack. But the defendant escaped from the security officers and ran out of the supermarket.
The police were called and they arrived shortly. The video footage and exhibits were handed over to the police. A written statement was recorded from the complainant.
PC Browne carried out investigations which led to the defendant.
Persons come before the Court on an almost day-to-day basis on charges of theft, in connection with incidents of shoplifting from various supermarkets.