Ninety-day prison sentence for man with unpaid fines

Justice finally caught up with a Hamilton Parish man yesterday when he was jailed for 90 days over an unpaid fine and traffic offences dating back five years.

Darren Symonds, 34, of Crawl Hill was jailed by Magistrate William Francis for not paying $1,055 in fines which were imposed a year ago. The court heard that Symonds also had six traffic offences dating back to 1998.

He pleaded guilty to three counts of speeding at 58, 65 and 64 kph on a motorbike, and three offences of driving without a licence. Mr. Francis fined Symonds a total of $1,100, asking "Why has this taken so long to come to court?" to which Symonds replied: "I don't know".

When asked why he had not paid the $1,055 in fines imposed a year ago, Symonds responded: "I wasn't working back then."

"But that fine was imposed a year ago. You've had a whole year to pay it and the only thing I can do is say you have to pay today," said Mr. Francis. "You can't play around with this. You pay today or you go to prison for 90 days."

Symonds was led off to Westgate Correctional Facility when he said he could not pay.

Thief hits home, car in Smith's Parish

Police attended a report of a breaking and entering into a Smith's Parish home on Sunday afternoon.

The complainants stated that between 5 a.m. and 8 a.m. on Sunday morning, a thief broke into their Harrington Hundreds Road home, where they stole a handbag containing credit cards and a mobile phone.

The culprit also broke into the complainants' car, stealing around $5 in coins from the vehicle. Inquiries into this incident are ongoing.

Routine Arraignments session

A Paget man pleaded not guilty to grievous bodily harm and possession of an offensive weapon in the only new matter at the monthly arraignment session last week.

Jordan Scott Outerbridge, 19, denies attacking another man with a round object hidden in a sock on June 16 last year. He was bailed for $2,500 and will appear for mention next month.

Also appearing before Chief Justice Austin Ward in the Supreme Court arraignments was Kofi Omar Dill, 23, of Eastgate Lane, Pembroke, will face trial on March 24 for the manslaughter of Frederick John Goring.

It was alleged that between November 11 and November 14 he unlawfully killed Mr. Goring, who was found on November 11 on the corner of Orchard Grove and Glebe Road.

Kawesi Simba Wilson faces trial on April 7 after pleading not guilty to three charges of knowingly receiving stolen goods in June last year.

Michelle Soares Cabral faces trial on the same date after pleading not guilty to two charges - stealing $4,000 from the Bank of Butterfield and making a document with intent to defraud.

Two Jamaican nationals had their drug importation case set for May 9. Andrew Nathaniel Hall, 37, and Barris Dawkins, 45, otherwise known as Rudolph Everton Pusey, are accused of conspiring to import, importation and possession of heroin in March, 2001.

Teen banned from motorcycles for six months

Tashon DeSilva, of South Breakers Road, Smith's, was banned from riding motorbikes for six months and fined $350 at Magistrates' Court yesterday.

DeSilva, 18, admitted driving at 74 kph on Harrington Sound Road on July 21 last year.

Stiff fine for trespassing

A 30-year-old man was fined $300 in Magistrates' Court for trespassing at the Fairmont Hamilton Princess despite a letter instructing him not to access the premises.

Vaughn Edwards of Pembroke pleaded guilty to the charge but told Acting Senior Magistrate Tyrone Chin he believed that the letter excluding him from the hotel grounds had expired. Crown counsel Charmaine Smith told the court Edwards entered the hotel on December 1, 2002 and tried to secure a room.

He was informed of the letter barring him and asked to leave. He was later seen on the premises and arrested for trespassing. Edwards was to pay the fine immediately or serve 21 days in prison.

Guest property, home broken into

Thousands of dollars in cash were stolen in two separate break-ins over the weekend.

On Saturday, officers attended a report of a break-in at an apartment at Marley Beach Guest Cottages in Warwick. The complainants said someone had broken into their room and taken $200 cash some time between 2 a.m. and 8 a.m. A Tribe Road No. 1, Pembroke house was also broken into some time overnight between Friday and Saturday.

The female occupant of the house said she left the house at about 9 p.m. on Friday, and when she returned at about 3.10 a.m., she discovered that she had been burgled.

A Louis Vuitton wallet containing $500 and credit cards was taken, along with a lock box containing between $8,000 and $10,000 in cash and cheques. Anyone with information should call Police on 295-0011.

Thief strikes on Christmas and New Years

An unlucky St. David's resident had her holiday season ruined when thieves broke into her home on Christmas Eve and on New Year's Day.

The Bay Estate Road, St. David's resident told Police on Sunday that sometime between 8.30 p.m. on December 23 and 7 a.m. on December 24 an unknown culprit broke into her house and stole a beige straw purse containing credit cards and other personal items.

Later on Christmas Eve the resident also discovered the culprit had found her stash of Christmas presents. A Barbie doll, black leather boots, a black Fubu puff jacket and a blue Ericsson mobile phone were all stolen from the box of gifts.

The resident also told Police that between 10 p.m. on January 1 and 7 a.m. on January 2 an unknown culprit once again gained entry to her home, stealing a black square leather handbag containing her passport and $500 in cash.