Farmer changes plea to not guilty

A farmer who last week pleaded guilty to stealing two ewe goats has changed his plea to not guilty.

When 68-year-old Carl Young re-appeared before the Kingstown Magistrate’s Court on Tuesday to be sentenced, he told senior magistrate Rickie Burnett that he now wished to plead not guilty.

On February 20, during his initial appearance, Young had told Burnett that he was “guilty with an explanation.”

He is charged with stealing two ewe goats, one brown and black, the other brown and white. The offence is said to have been committed between February 2 and 3 at Cedars.

He had explained that the goats in question were eating cabbages he had planted, so he took them home with him. He said he did not know he was not supposed to sell them, so he took them to butcher Terry Gibson and told Gibson the animals had eaten his cabbages, before he sold them to him. When the police came knocking, Young went back to the butcher, who he said had already slaughtered them.

Young asked the magistrate if he could charge him a “little fine” and promised that he wouldn’t do it again. He also said Gibson had offered him $160 for both animals.

The senor magistrate adjourned the matter to March 9 to be heard at the Biabou Magistrate’s Court before magistrate Bertie Pompey.