Burglary spree: Three men arrested

Head of the Criminal Investigations Department Assistant Superintendent of Police Eckron Lockhart, is encouraging persons around the Sion Hill and Cane Garden area to come and identify some of items that might have been stolen from their homes during a spate of burglaries in those areas between November 22 last year and March 17, 2007.

Appearing at the Serious Offences Court on Wednesday were Naziem Williams, 27, a security guard of Cane Garden, Wade Stewart, 23, a technician at a radio station and Orlando Williams, 19, of Sion Hill.{{more}}

Williams (Naziem) was sentenced to three and half years imprisonment after pleading guilty to each of the eight charges slapped on him. His counterparts Williams (Orlando) and Stewart maintained their pleas of not guilty. Stewart was granted bail in the sum of $2500, while Williams’ bail was set at $1000.

The court heard that the men walked away with a large quantity of household items including Television sets, stereos, CD and DVD players among others.

Before determining Naziem Williams’ sentence, Chief Magistrate Simone Churaman took into consideration that he pled guilty to the charges and had no previous convictions. She however said that the burglaries were done on empty homes and that he targeted mainly residential areas.

Representing Naziem Williams, lawyer Grant Connell said that his client was an alcoholic and that after work, he would take to alcohol. Connell said alcohol could have been a catalyst for what he did. The outspoken attorney added that his client was a “wolf in sheep clothing” and was able to hide his ways from others.

Questions were even raised as to how Williams, a Trinidadian national, was able to come here and was somehow obtain a Vincentian identification card.

Connell said, “This caliber of burglar would most likely be corrosive to her Majesty’s Prison. Sending him there, he would only teach other inmates tricks of the trade and when they are released, the ramifications are obvious.” Connell pleaded with Churaman to impose a light sentence on his client and make a deportation order against him.