A 29-year-old Pembroke man has been handed a suspended sentence after he admitted stealing meat from a home more than five years ago.Forensic evidence identified Kyle Tychonn Smith as having stolen $70 worth of meat from a Pembroke home on February 7, 2006.He pleaded guilty to the offence in Magistrates’ Court.Crown counsel Cindy Clarke said the homeowner left a kitchen window open while she was away from the property five years ago.The window was secured with latches to keep it from being fully opened.The woman returned home and found that the window had been forced open and food had been removed from the kitchen.Smith was only recently identified as a suspect based on fingerprint evidence, and arrested on June 18 this year.He admitted his involvement in the crime to police.Duty counsel Kenville Savoury told the court that at the time of the incident Smith was unemployed and homeless, but had since moved on with his life.However Senior Magistrate Archibald Warner noted that Smith refused to give police information about his accomplice to the theft.“This society and many others around the world are going to pieces because of this concept of not snitching,” Mr Warner said. “The other side of not snitching is escaping your responsibilities.“How can you say you are trying to better yourself and still hold on to the concept of ‘I’m not squealing on my friend?’”Smith apologised for his actions, telling Mr Warner that he would not see him in court again.Mr Warner sentenced Smith to three months’ imprisonment, suspended for 12 months.The magistrate told Smith that while such a case would usually lead to an immediate custodial sentence, the time between the crime and the prosecution could be considered “special circumstances.”Mr Warner warned Smith that should he commit an offence in the next year, the punishment could be activated.