‘Russian’ gets 12 months in jail for handling stolen goods

THE COURT had seen the movie already where it concerns one defendant and stolen televisions, which was an aggravating factor when it handed down a 12 month prison term for handling stolen goods last week Friday.

Romando Andrews, also known by the name ‘Russian’, is a 29 year old whose most recent address is Clare Valley, but he has also apparently previously lived in Peruvian Vale and Stubbs.

Andrews was caught on September 21, in Redemption Sharpes, with a 40 inch flat screen Samsung television and remote control that were reasonably expected to have been stolen goods.

He was picked up by the police shortly after a report of a burglary was lodged with them. This report had been made by a dentist who owns a two storey house in the Villa/Fountain area, and occupies the upper floor of the building. On Tuesday at 9:15 a.m the dentist secured his premises, ensuring that windows and doors were locked, before he went to work. Around noon he returned to find that his kitchen door was open, and he had not left it like that. This triggered his suspicions, which were confirmed when the television and remote were discovered missing.

When the police arrived on this scene, they noticed an area by the lock for the door had been dug out.

Further investigations led the police to an area of Redemption Sharpes, where Andrews was met as the driver of a motor vehicle. When the vehicle was searched, the items were recovered.

Senior Magistrate Rickie Burnett asked the defendant to explain his actions.

Andrews seemed to be saying that he was helping someone else who told him to drop the items in Sharpes.

Prosecutor Corporal Shamrack Pierre, informed the court: “Based on the investigation, he gave the police a name, the person gave the police an alibi, which was checked out and found that he was speaking the truth.”

Pierre continued, “When the vehicle was stopped and searched, he was the only occupant of that vehicle” and this was very soon after the burglary was committed.

The arresting police officer further commented that the name Andrews gave was for a conductor who operates a van in

Glen, and it checked out that he was working on the minibus at the time.

The magistrate commented that he first encountered Andrews when he was a Magistrate presiding in the district which includes Mesopotamia, “…And since I’ve been in Kingstown, you still in front of me.”

“This complainant… the man went to work to serve the people of St Vincent and the Grenadines, secured his home…” Burnett said, and persons like Andrews, “…just making working people’s life a living hell.”

The magistrate also observed, “Your last recorded conviction here is for handling stolen goods, same TV, 32 inch this time.” There were also several burglary offences on his record.

The Senior Magistrate told the defendant that jail was the punishment he was going to receive for his crime.

“You are a dishonest guy,” he told the 29-yearold.

He noted that Andrews had also, according to the record in front of him, broken into a home of a woman and stolen a 50 inch television.

“Here was somebody, somebody’s home, not your own Mr Andrews. People are working hard you think it easy? In these rough times,” Burnett asked him.

The magistrate further commented, “Yall terrorising people in the country,” adding, “You have previous convictions of the same or similar, that’s your aggravating feature…” A sentence of 12 months in prison was handed down, with Burnett noting that he really doesn’t understand these “young boys”.