A Devonshire man was handed a $300 fine for stealing a helmet in what he claimed was an honest mistake.

Appearing in Magistrates’ Court this morning, Gilroy Perott, 49, pleaded guilty to stealing a crash helmet belonging to Danielle Foote.

The court head that the offence took place in the Lindo’s supermarket in Devonshire on April 16.

Prosecutor Nicole Smith said police officers attended Perott’s residence the next day and recovered the helmet.

“I took the helmet by mistake,” Perott told the court, adding that he owns the same helmet. “I thought it was mine.”

Perott explained that he usually takes his helmet into the store and that when he saw the helmet, he assumed it was his and took it.

“I thought someone was trying to steal my helmet,” he said.

He added that it was not until some time later that he realised that he had left his helmet under his bike seat all along.

He said he went back to the store to return the helmet, but the store had already closed.

Magistrate Khamisi Tokunbo, who noted that police officers had to recover the helmet from Perott’s residence, fined Perott $300 for his “honest mistake”.

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