Following reports of break-ins every night between October 23 and 30, at the Kingstown Anglican School, a Clare Valley man was on Wednesday, November 7, found guilty of breaking and entering the school, with the intent to commit burglary.{{more}}
Challis Roberts was placed on a six-month bond in the sum of $1,000, after appearing before Senior Magistrate Donald Browne at the Kingstown Magistrateâs Court and pleading guilty to the charge.
Breach of the bond will result in a six-month jail sentence.
Roberts was arrested on November 5, after it was reported to the police that someone was in the school building, shortly after 8:00 pm.
On arrival, police constable Collins from the Criminal Investigations Department (CID), said he heard a noise coming from the bathroom area and upon investigation, found Roberts hiding on the ledge of the bathroom.
Roberts, when asked by Magistrate Browne for his reason for being there, Roberts replied, âI was resting.â
An article in SEARCHLIGHT on November 2, reported that a large black transformer, school feeding program money, carpentry tools, a DVD and CD player, desktop flat screen monitor, half a bale of toilet paper, a television, and T-shirts, had gone missing from the school during the period October 23 to 30.
An employee of the school told SEARCHLIGHT that the police were called on Monday night by the new night watchman who heard a noise coming from the main office and went to investigate.
The employee said the watchman went around to the back of the bulding, where he observed that the louvres of the window had been spread apart.
The police were immediately called to the scene.
Headteacher of the school, Kenneth Burgin was called in and when he opened the school doors, Roberts was found hiding in the teachersâ bathroom.
âSo we are temporarily relieved to know that one person was caught. I honestly believe that your (SEARCHLIGHT) article made a difference, because the watchman was changed,â the employee said.
A number of grades of the school had to be relocated to the old glove factory building on Bay Street, just opposite the main school building, in April this year, after a fire at Eustace Auto Supplies caused damage to the eaves of the building.
No time has been set for the students to move back into the main building, after promises were made that the repairs would have been done in time for the start of this school year.
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