Plum thief rebuked for his behaviour during sentencing

A Lodge Village man, who confessed to stealing a bucket of plums from a farmer, was rebuked by Senior Magistrate, Tammiks McKenzie, for his behaviour in court during sentencing.

Jomo Lyttle appeared at the Kingstown Magistrate’s Court before the Senior Magistrate on June, 4, 2025, where he was bonded and ordered to pay compensation for stealing one bucket of plums valued at EC$80, the property of Peter Neverson of Lodge Village, on May 27, 2025.

Lyttle was ordered to pay EC$80 compensation forthwith or spend two weeks in prison, and was fined EC$150 forthwith in default of which he will spend three months in prison.

Lyttle was also bonded in the sum of $800 for one year; if he breaches this bond he will serve a seven month prison sentence.

However, while the senior magistrate was outlining the sentences, Lyttle became upset.

“You were very entitled as a child?” the magistrate questioned Lyttle, while adding that she did not like his behaviour.

“I think you need to go somewhere to learn a little discipline,” she told him.

When Lyttle was told he was going to be sent to prison, he responded, “I didn’t do nothing to go to prison”, adding that it was not like he had broken into Neverson’s property.

The facts, which were presented by PC 196 Constantine, are that Neverson has been a farmer for at least 50 years. He cultivates a variety of crops including fruits and vegetables on a piece of land which he takes care of for one, Mr Sullivan, who is currently in England.

This parcel of land is located in Lodge Village and is fenced with a concrete block wall. On the land, there are fruit trees such as mangoes, breadfruit and plums.

On the date in question at about 9:10 a.m, Neverson was planting chives when he heard the sound of something dropping in a bucket.

He observed that there was someone in the plum tree picking ripe plums. However, he couldn’t recognize the person.

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