Massy employee fired, charged after stealing a slice of cake

“A record for a piece of cake,” the magistrate commented at the Kingstown Magistrate’s Court yesterday, as a 21-year-old former employee of Massy Stores was charged before him.

A former cashier assistant at Massy supermarket, Arnos Vale, Nagee Farrell was charged with stealing a slice of cake from his workplace, worth just over $7.

When he appeared before the court yesterday, the young man pleaded guilty to the offence.

The court heard that Farrell’s indiscretions were captured on camera, and were discovered by two employees who were reviewing the footage.

He was observed going into the deli area at 6:15 p.m., taking the cake, and not proceeding to the cash desk. Instead Farrell was seen going into the back of the store with the slice of cake, and re-emerging without the cake.

When he was questioned, the accused apparently admitted to taking the cake without paying for it, and the police were called in.

The former student of the Dr JP Eustace Secondary School, who had been working at the Massy Stores for “a year and some,” was said to have no previous convictions before the court.

When asked, Farrell told senior magistrate Rickie Burnett that he had already been fired from his job at the supermarket.

As a reason for his actions, the young man indicated that he had submitted to ‘temptation.’

“It is one thing to be tempted,” Burnett responded, “Now you are out of a job.”

“You have now attracted a criminal record for an item worth seven one dollars,” and some cents, the Magistrate commented.

“That to me is painful. Painful!” he continued. “A record for a piece of cake,” he stated.

As for sentencing, Burnett stated, “In my opinion you have been punished already by your employer.”

He stated that he could not understand ‘these things,’ “I really, really cannot understand,” and that Farrell was aware of the security that Massy had.

He commented again on the young man having obtained a record “for less than $10”, mentioning that just before Farrell appeared before him, there was a teenager who had been charged with stealing a doughboy worth $2.90.

He reminded Farrell that what he had done was wrong “according to the law,” but said that he was minded to reprimand and discharge him.

Massy Stores declined to comment when contacted by SEARCHLIGHT.