A Devonshire man was given a six-month suspended prison sentence and fined $300 for pretending to be a Policeman in the case of a stolen 9/11 hero?s priceless fire-fighting badge.

Glen Richardson, 47, of Long Ridge Pass, Devonshire had his sentence suspended for 12 months because he pleaded guilty to intending to deceive New York 9/11 fire-fighter Jack Ginley by pretending to be a Police Officer on July 13, 2005, Magistrate Khamisi Tokunbo said in Magistrates? Court on Monday.

Mr. Tokunbo also fined Richardson $800 for violently resisting arrest at the same place and time and gave him until March 24 to pay or spend six months in prison.

The 9/11 hero testified in Magistrates? Court on Monday that his backpack ? containing a silver New York City fire-fighter?s badge ? was stolen on Watch Hill Road on July 10, 2005.

On July 11, Police called a Press conference when Mr. Ginley made a personal appeal to the thieves to give his badge back, he said.

Mr. Ginley also said a man called his St. George?s Club hotel room pretending to be a Policeman on July 13.

?A Policeman called and said he found my wallet,? Mr. Ginley told the court. ?He said he wanted $1,000. I explained it had serious sentimental value, I did not have $1,000 and I believed he was not a Policeman.?

But at 4 a.m. that day Mr. Ginley agreed to pay Richardson $300 and meet him at 5 a.m. at the junction of North Shore Road and Dock Hill, Devonshire.

However, Mr. Ginley did not agree to the caller?s request not to tell Police.

?I?m not stupid,? the New Yorker said. ?I got the impression he wanted to take care of this in the darkness.?

The fire-fighter contacted Det. Sgt. Robert Cardwell, who testified that when he arrived near Dock Hill that morning he saw five Police fighting with Richardson who suffered a grazed face, knee and arm in the process of trying to free himself .

No badge was found in Richardson?s possession at that time, but three hours later, Det. Con. Bernard Burgess said he found Mr. Ginley?s badge, fire-fighter ID card, Discovery credit card and ATM card underwater at a nearby dock.

Richardson told Police he never stole the tourist?s wallet but found it behind a bus stop.

?On January 12, 2005 I was fishing across from the Empire grocery and used the bathroom behind the bus-stop and saw a wallet,? Richardson told Police. ?There was no money in it. I left it where it was. Then I read in the newspaper the guy was pleading for it back. I went back to the bus stop and called the hotel to speak to him.?

Defence lawyer Charles Richardson said his client only pretended to be a Policeman after hotel staff refused to connect him to Mr. Ginley.

Richardson was also charged with intending to defraud Mr. Ginley of $1,000 and $300 by pretending to be in possession of his wallet on the same place and time.

However, Mr. Richardson said Police were on a wild goose chase.

?Here he is charged with stealing something while at the same time being charged with lying that he had possession of the items,? Mr. Richardson said. ?It makes no sense.

Mr. Tokunbo agreed and found Richardson not guilty of intending to defraud Mr. Ginley of $1,000 and $300 by pretending to be in possession of his wallet on the same place and time.

The magistrate said he believed Richardson was in possession of the wallet the entire time, the best evidence being that Richardson told Mr. Ginley his date of birth on the phone, which he could only have known from looking at the identification card in his wallet.

Richardson was initially charged with stealing, or alternatively, receiving Mr. Ginley?s stolen items. However, these charges were dropped when no evidence was presented.

At his sentencing, Crown counsel Graveney Bannister said Richardson had a life-long pattern of deceptive behaviour and violence and he should be sent to prison to deter people from impersonating Police.