Teenager imprisoned for six years for weekend burglary spree

For stealing items that belong to the governments of St Vincent and the Grenadines (SVG), and the Republic of China (ROC), a 19-year-old must spend the next six years in prison.

Kevon Williams was just 11 years old when he was first convicted, and last weekend he was apparently very busy.

Williams said that he was guilty to, between August 17 and 20, entering the office of the Service Commissions Department and stealing items, including a camera and a fire extinguisher, which belong to the ROC.

Additionally, he was charged with entering the office of the Ministry of Health, Wellness and the Environment, and stealing, among others, three laptop computers, two Lenovo computers, a grey transformer, a tablet, and presentation pointers. All together the items, which are the property of the Government of SVG, are valued at $1340.

Added to these charges were that he did steal a number of personal items from offices of persons who work there. The indifferent Williams admitted his guilt, while propping himself up against the dock, and propping one foot on the other.

He was further charged that he did, on August 20, enter Vinsure and steal food items, and that he did break into Rainbow Palace with the intention of committing the offence of theft. He admitted to these as well.

As it relates to the burglary of the ministerial offices, Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Health, Cuthbert Knights, and another individual were said to be the persons that secured the office last Friday.

When the parties returned this Monday, they observed that offices appeared ransacked. The police were called in, and it was determined that whoever it was had entered through the kitchen door on the east side of the building. They discovered that other offices had also been broken into.

Upon viewing the CCTV footage the police recognized the defendant, whom they say they know very well. Only two laptops were recovered.

On August 20, the owner of Rainbow Palace, who had received information that his business was being broken into, called the police and also went to the scene himself. There he apparently found the defendant, who after attacking him, was subsequently shot by the owner’s licensed firearm. However, Williams was said to have bolted from the scene with the bullet still embedded in his leg.

This owner, and the owner of Vinsure, which is next to Rainbow Palace, both checked if items were missing. Food was discovered missing from Vinsure, and a pole, with a crowbar attached was also found on the scene.

The police apparently found the defendant in Paul’s Avenue, nursing his wounds, which had been treated in a sense, as the bullet had been removed. He admitted that the crowbar and pole were his.

Williams has 10 previous convictions, the first of which was wounding his cousin in the 2010. He also has convictions for attempted burglary and burglary.

The court had in the past put him on a curfew, given him community service, and it has reprimanded and discharged him.

“The court got fed up with you in 2015 when you went into Cobblestone,” Senior Magistrate Rickie Burnett said, noting that he had gone to prison for six and five months.

When asked if he has anything to say, Williams looked down, paused, and raising his eyebrows as he looked up asking for leniency.

He insisted that he had broken into the Ministerial building alone, and responded “Me ain know” when asked where the items were.

Burnett stated that there was only one place that Williams could go, and he sentenced him to four years in prison for burglary of the Ministerial buildings, and two years in prison for breaking into Vinsure and Rainbow Palace.

These times will be spent consecutively, and therefore Williams will spend six years in prison.

After receiving this sentence, the defendant started smiling and laughing, presumably in disbelief.