Court orders woman who stole phone from a Good Samaritan to pay compensation

A young woman of Dorsetshire Hill who stole from a good Samaritan who gave her a lift from the rain now has a criminal record after she stole the woman’s cellular phone.

Kerry Craigg, 21 years old was ordered to pay compensation and the court also bonded her for a year.

The defendant appeared in the Kingstown Magistrate’s Court on October 24 to answer a charge of theft. She was charged that on June 10, at Dorsetshire Hill, she stole one Samsung Galaxy cellphone valued $1395.00; one black phone case valued $40.00; one screen protector valued $60.00; and one SIM card valued $15.00, a total value of $1,510.00 Craigg who originally denied stealing the phone, later pled guilty to the charge.

The virtual complainant, who is also a resident of Dorsetshire Hill was heading home when she met the defendant with a child in her arms and offered her a ride. Before the defendant got into the vehicle, the complainant was using her phone and she placed it in the area next to the gear shift. While going up the hill, she heard the phone fall but did not take it up.

When she got home, the defendant exited the vehicle and the complainant made checks for her phone but was unable to locate it.

She then went to the defendant’s home and inquired.

However, Craigg said she didn’t know anything about the phone. The good Samaritan and her husband spoke with two police officers who visited Craigg’s home, and she denied stealing the phone.

As a result, an official report was made and investigations were carried out.

During these investigations, the father of the Craigg’s child gave a statement to the police stating that Craigg had called and informed him that she had found a cell phone in a van and when the police came checking for the phone she threw it over her balcony.

The child’s father went in search of the phone and found it, but the phone had been damaged.The police went back to Craigg, arrested her and cautioned her.

Senior magistrate, Rickie Burnett asked the defendant if she thinks that the complaint would want to continue giving other people a ride, and said to her “You have made it worse for the people of Dorsetshire Hill now”.

The senior magistrate added that whether someone has a child or not the complaint may not be willing to offer someone else a ride and that her actions may alter how the complainant interacts with other villagers.

He also asked the defendant if she had a phone at the time, and she told him that she had a “small one.”

The magistrate responded that, “as small as it was, you had a phone for yourself no matter the quality, it was your phone and that is what you could have afforded at the time.”

The virtual complainant was present and told the court, “I just want to be paid back for the phone because I was kind enough to give her a ride, I don’t even know her.”

Burnett ordered the defendant to pay $1,510 in compensation for the phone that she stole and destroyed. This is to be done by November 30, in default of which she will spend three months in prison.

Craigg was also placed on a bond for one year in the sum of $1,500. If she breaches the bond she will spend four months in prison.