Man traded stolen jewellery for cash

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A Hamilton Parish man who admitted trading in $1,400 of stolen jewellery at a ‘cash-for-gold’ store was given a conditional discharge.

Dejuan Somner pleaded guilty last month to dishonestly receiving stolen goods stolen from a Hamilton Parish home.

The 20-year-old appeared in Magistrates’ Court for sentencing yesterday and apologised for the offence.

He insisted he did not know the person who gave him the jewellery to trade for cash.

The court was told earlier that three rings and three bracelets were stolen from a Lynwood Drive home on March 16.

The victims were able to track down the items through a check of cash-for-gold stores. Somner was identified as the person who sold the jewellery and subsequently arrested on suspicion of burglary.

Somner pleaded guilty to the lesser offence of receiving stolen goods and a Social Inquiry Report was carried out.

Yesterday, duty counsel Peter Farge told the court that Somner had returned to Bermuda from his studies in Canada to help support his child.

He stressed Somner’s youth and clean record, saying the defendant was remorseful and regretted his actions.

Senior Magistrate Archibald Warner said if Somner was truly remorseful, he would have been more co-operative and named the person who gave him the jewellery.

“If he wanted the police and everyone to really believe him, that he didn’t know the gold was stolen and he came by it innocently, one would think he would tell the police where he got the gold from,” Mr Warner said.

“If he was remorseful, he would cooperate and tell the police and the court how he came by this gold.”

Somner insisted he didn’t know the identity of the person who gave him the gold.

Mr Warner responded: “What? Someone comes up to you and says ‘I like your face. Have some gold?’”

Somner’s mother told the court her son was trying to find work to help him support his child, and still plans to return to school in January.

Questioned on the status of his schooling by the magistrate, Somner first said he only needed to “buy a ticket” to return. He later conceded that he needed to raise funds.

Mr Warner issued Somner a two-year conditional discharge, ordering that he keep court services up to date with his efforts to return to school.

The conditions of Somner’s probation will be reviewed in three months.

The magistrate said to Somner’s mother: “There is only so much you can do for anyone, even your children.”

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