Youth given ‘second chance’ after stealing $9,000 from elderly neighbour

A 20 year old man, who stole $9,000 from his 89 year old neighbour’s bank account was given a “second chance” after the neighbour asked the court not to jail him.

Sibran Allen of Chauncey appeared at the Serious Offences Court before Senior Magistrate Colin John on Wednesday, November 13, 2024 for sentencing and was fined, ordered to pay compensation, and given a suspended sentence for stealing Ralph Williams’ ATM card and spending $9,000 from his bank account.

On Monday, November 11, Allen pleaded guilty that on June 10 and June 12, 2024 at Chauncey, he stole the Bank of St Vincent and the Grenadines (BOSVG) Automated Teller Machine (ATM) card valued $15. He also pleaded guilty to stealing EC$400, and EC$600 in cash on June 11, 2024 at Super J, Kingstown, and Mesopotamia respectively; EC$1,000 in cash at the bank’s Halifax and Reigate branches in Kingstown on June 12, 2024; $2,000 in cash on June 13, 2024 at Super J, Kingstown; $2,000 in cash on June 14 and June 15, 2024 at Layou, the property of Ralph Williams of Chauncey. He was remanded for two days, pending his sentencing on Wednesday, November 13, 2024 and his elderly neighbour had asked the court not to send him to jail.

For stealing Williams’ bank card, the Senior Magistrate, who considered the aggravating and mitigating factors, as well as Williams’ plea to impose a non-custodial sentence, ordered Allen to compensate Williams $15 for the card by November 20, 2024 in default of which he will spend three months in prison; he also was sentenced to three months in prison, suspended for three months.

Allen was ordered to compensate Williams the $400 and $600 he stole on June 11 by December 13, 2024 or spend three months in prison. He also was sentenced to six months in prison, suspended for six months on these counts. For the June 12 offense, Allen is to repay Williams $2,000 in two months or spend three months in prison, and was sentenced to prison for nine months suspended for six months.

Allen also was ordered to compensate Williams $2000 in three months or serve three months in prison for the June 13 count, and he is to pay a $500 fine in two months or spend three months in prison. As for the June 14 count, Allen was ordered to compensate Williams $2,000 in three months or serve three months in prison. He also was fined $500 to be paid in two months or spend three months in prison.

A fine of $500 was also laid against him for the June 15 count. This is to be paid in two months in default of which he will spend three months in prison. He is also to compensate Williams $2000 in three months or spend three months in prison. The clothing that Allen purchased with Williams’ money is to be returned to him.

“I hope you learn your lesson,” the Senior Magistrate told Allen, adding that he, like Allen, is a past student of the St Martin Secondary School.

“Use your intelligence in a more productive and a more useful way,” John continued, adding that Allen cannot say that he was not given a “second chance.”

In Allen’s caution statement, he said that Williams would often call on him to help with several issues in his home, including withdrawing money from his bank account.

However, when Williams was returning from a funeral, his ATM card fell from him. Allen went to deliver the card to Williams but saw that he was already asleep, so he left and spent some of the money from Williams’ account, then returned the card to Williams’ home and left it on the table. However, when Allen went back to Williams’ home, he saw the card exactly where he had left it. He took the card and made several transactions.

The court heard that Allen used the money to pay bills, purchase items of food and “squandered” some of it buying clothes and a pair of shoes that cost $550. In the facts, Williams said that when he couldn’t find his card, he reported the matter to the bank’s head office where he learnt that his account had been cleaned out.