Thief nabbed after he answers call on stolen cell

A 20-year-old was discovered as the thief of the cellular phone of his 61-year-old friend after he answered a call to the stolen device.

By his theft Leswan Stewart triggered a suspended sentence that was handed down by another court less than a month ago. Therefore the Edinboro youngster was already looking at three months of prison time for slipping up on his prior legal promise in addition to the sentence for the offence for which he appeared in court yesterday.

At the Serious Offences Court (SOC) he admitted guilt that, on May 30, at Higginson Street, he stole a Samsung Galaxy A12 phone, equipped with phone case and SIM card, from Agnes Haynes-Williams of Green Hill. The stolen items were worth CDN$500 and EC$130.

As read by prosecutor, corporal 817 Stapleton, the victim, a 61-year-old self-employed vendor, knows the defendant very well.

At about 2:00 p.m on the date in question the vendor was at Higginson Street, just outside the Anglican Primary School doing some vending with her twin sister. Stewart went and sat next to them. Later he went closer to Haynes-Williams, pushed his hand into her bag and removed the cellular device. It wasn’t until later when she was checking for her phone, that the vendor realized it was missing. She enlisted the help of another person to call the cellphone which was answered by the defendant. Haynes-Williams recognized his voice and took the matter to the police.

The police investigated and on Sunday, June 12, at about 1:30 a.m, personnel from the Criminal Investigation Department (CID), including PC871 Lewis, were on mobile patrol in Kingstown. They spotted Stewart and took him into custody. A search was conducted and the cellphone was recovered. The vendor later identified it as hers.

Stewart gave a written statement to the police admitting to the offence.

At the SOC he had nothing to say to the court before he was sentenced.

The prosecution noted that the defendant recently appeared in the Kingstown Magistrate’s Court (KMC). It came out then that he was given a suspended sentence.

Chief Magistrate, Rechanne Browne asked about the condition of the phone, and was told that it was in good working condition.

When sentencing, the magistrate took this into account, as well as the fact that Stewart admitted guilt at the first available opportunity.

She turned then to consider the seriousness and consequences of the act.

Browne contemplated the value of the phone by noting it was the means of communication of the self-employed woman.

“…What makes it particularly aggravating is that you were well known to her and a close associate,” to the point where he was allowed to sit closely to her, she noted.

“And what did you do? Breach that trust and confidence, push your hand in her bag, take out her phone and went with it, without even thinking. And she called the number and you answered the phone,” the judicial officer said. “I don’t know how you could do that to someone who you’re familiar with like that.”

His previous sentence was imposed on May 24.

“We haven’t even gotten into one month yet of the sentence and you’re here before the court,” Browne told him.

The court ordered that the phone be restored to its rightful owner, that the sentence of three months’ imprisonment take effect and that Stewart be bonded for nine months in the sum of $1500. If he returns to court on a conviction within the next nine months his pockets will be emptied of $1500 or he will be required to spend nine months in prison.