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Man jailed for stealing liquor

after he admitted stealing liquor and cigarettes from Arnold's Family Market.

Raynor stood for several moments stewing in rage after Senior Magistrate Archibald Warner refused to listen to any further pleas for leniency for the heists from the market on September 16.

"Why shouldn't I send you to prison?'' Mr. Warner said. "Not once, twice you went in there. You think you can act with impunity. You didn't steal one pack of cigarettes. You took 18.

"And then went back in for the liquor. Look at your neck? He should have choked you (more),'' he added. "And now you can only say that you cooperated and you're sorry? No, you're not sorry.'' Mr. Warner added: "You guys take this as a game. It's not. What gives you the right to do stuff like this? Nine months imprisonment.'' A stunned Raynor stared at Mr. Warner, then sat looking at the floor before exclaiming "f**k'' twice.

And as he was taken away by a Policeman -- still wearing a measuring tape and as if he had just come from a construction site -- Raynor said: "I say that I'm sorry to you and you're still doing this? F***ker!'' The Mount Hill, Pembroke, man had pleaded guilty to stealing the 18 packs of Camel cigarettes, one bottle of Kendall Jackson red wine, one litre of Gosling's Black Seal rum, one litre of Cockspur rum, and one bottle of Blackberry liqueur.

He was detained by the store's manager at 7.45 p.m. on September 16 after he was watched leaving without paying for the liquor.

Staff had noted the disappearance of the cigarettes after Raynor's first entry into the store and confronted him in the second attempt but he escaped.

Armed with a description and an abandoned helmet, Police approached Raynor -- pockets bulging with packs of Camel cigarettes on Mount Hill Road.

He led Police to the stash of alcohol at the Western Stars Club further west on St. John's Road. In all, his haul netted $148.95.

Raynor, who has a conviction for theft, repeated to Mr. Warner what he told Police: "I'm sorry and it won't happen again.

"I cooperated with Police,'' said Raynor, who was caught on videotape. "I didn't give them a hard time. I was going through some problems.

"The owner of the store said if I give the stuff back that he'll talk to the Police and I'll just be banned from the store. Look what he did to my neck!'' Earlier, Mr. Warner fined 53-year-old Henry Lang $300 for stealing a $25 bottle of Stolichnaya vodka from the Shopping Centre on September 13.

Lang, of Pembroke, was approached as he walked out of the store shortly before 8 p.m., only paying for three items.

When the vodka was found in a plastic bag he had entered the store with, Lang said: "I don't know who that belongs to. I don't know how that got there.'' Police found the self employed man with no previous convictions did not have enough cash money to pay for all of the items.

When Lang said he had nothing to say in his defence, Mr. Warner said: "You steal the people's vodka and you've got nothing to say?'' Lang replied: "Except to say that I'm very sorry for the whole affair.''