A 17-year old boy was charged in Magistrates' Court with stealing $3,448.50 in cash from a cigarette vending machine after Police found his brother counting piles of coins on the floor of his house.

Crown counsel Shakira Dill told the court the complainant, who refills cigarette vending machines around the Island, stopped at the Hamilton Parish Workman's Club on February 13 around 3 p.m. in the afternoon.

He entered the club to carry out his duties, then exited and drove away in his van. While he was driving, however, he heard a loud bang and, looking back, saw packages of cigarettes strewn over the road.

Stopping to gather his goods, he noticed that several bank bags full of cash were missing from the van. He immediately returned to the club and from there called the Police.

Acting on information received, the Police went to Simpson's house, where they discovered his brother sitting on the floor amidst a "huge amount of coins". A search of the house, revealed a further large sum of cash underneath a bunk bed.

Stacey Simpson was taken to the Police station with his mother, where he claimed he had only taken the money to pay a fine for court. Although $1,456 was recovered, the remaining $1,992.50 is still missing.

Acting Magistrate Carlisle Greaves ordered a social inquiry report to be ready by April 30.