Thief taught 8th commandment the hard way in Campden Park

Hans James created quite a stir earlier this week, when he, with the help of his neighbours, chased down, caught and beat a man who had entered his home and stolen several items.{{more}}

Relating his story to SEARCHLIGHT, James, a resident of Carib Village, Campden Park, said on April 23, at around 11a.m., he left his home to go to the neighbour’s to collect something.

“I didn’t even take 15 minutes. I approach my house, shove in the keys. By the time I opened my house, I behold two guys jumping out de back door of my house…”

James said he quickly chased the men.

“Ah was foot and foot behind them.”

He said when he got to a certain point, the men split up, with one going into a passenger van and the other going the other way.

“I run into the middle of the road and I tell the passenger van don’t go with he. He now come out my house. I stand up in the middle road and the man jump out de van. De bag way he had on he shoulder, he throw it in the gutter and run, and I was behind him…,” James said.

“I never stop chase him until I reach Lowmans burial ground and there is where I catch de perpetrator. We give him couple strokes after that…”

James said the “blows” he and others administered to the burglar was their way of sending a message that burglary would not be tolerated in Campden Park.

“Where he dropped the stolen goods from my place, I tell the men dem way help me to catch him, let we walk with him in the same area where he dropped my stuff and let him pick up the stuff….” James said.

A bystander videotaped part of the incident, and posted it on the video-sharing site Youtube. In less than 24 hours, the video had gone viral with over 1,462 views.

The two-minute, 31-second video entitled: “Man get caught stealing in Campden Park”, shows about 35 persons surrounding the alleged burglar, who was lying on the main road, just opposite “Lucky’s Shop”, at Campden Park.

The video shows one man spanking the alleged burglar, while later on, two men are seen tying the man’s legs together with a piece of rope, while bringing traffic to a halt.

The man was then picked up off the ground and thrown in the back seat of a Land Rover vehicle.

Persons around could be heard shouting, “Is dem dey all time ah break de house…”

Another shouted, “Dem dey wicked!”

SEARCHLIGHT also spoke to the man who shot the video with the use of his Ipad.

The man, who preferred to remain anonymous, told SEARCHLIGHT that he heard the noise in the road and decided to get his Ipad to film what was taking place.

“Same time now, me run down de road and record it pon me Ipad. He get a few lashes and thing before police come and carry he away. Is like everybody wanted a piece ah him, because people surround he with stick and steel. Is real licks he get…,” the man said.

According to James, who is a tradesman, this is the third time his home has been broken into and he says he feels “very happy” that he caught the perpetrator.

“I glad to see the amount of people who came out in Campden Park and who join with me to help out the situation that I was in… I work so hard to own what I have. What is done is done…,” James added.

Some of the items taken from James’ house include four DVD players, boxer shorts, trousers, remote controls and cords.

He said the items are valued at approximately $3,000.

When SEARCHLIGHT contacted the Questelles Police Station on Wednesday morning, we were told that the man, whose name was given as Michael Shortteman, was in the hospital.

On Wednesday evening, it was reported that the man had been discharged from hospital and taken into police custody.

It is also believed that Shortteman is from Barbados.