Weeks after he was released from prison having been convicted for shoplifting, Curtis Joseph is again imprisoned on another shoplifting charge.
Joseph was sentenced to six months in prison Monday when he appeared before the Kingstown Magistrate Court charged with stealing two Old Spice deodorant valued $59.70 from Super J Supermarket at Stoney Ground in Kingstown.
He pleaded guilty to the charge.
The court heard that on Saturday June 21, 2014, Joseph was observed entering the supermarket. A security guard who recognized him, and suspected him of having shoplifted there before, kept him under scrutiny and alerted another employee who was monitoring the Closed Circuit television system. They kept him under surveillance and saw him go to the deodorant section. He was seen taking up the two Old Spice deodorant and placing them in the waist of his pants which was closely folded-in at the foot.
Joseph was intercepted as he tried to leave the supermarket without paying for the items. The police were called in and he was arrested and charged with the crime.
The prosecution told the court that when Joseph was taken into custody and cautioned he told police he stole the Old Spice deodorant because he was hungry.
Joseph told the court he came out of prison last month.
“two Old Spice deodorant valued $59.70”
You mean to tell me that 2 old spice cost $60 dollars? What kinda nonsense is that, how are people in SVG affording these things with no jobs and what about the cost of food that keeps going up? If it wasn’t for people in North America and other countries sending money back home many Vincentians would have starved long time.
Super J and the res super marketsts, I Blane Shoy I am asking nicely on the behalf of people in SVG, pls lower those prices they are ridiculous.
Who was the presiding Magistrate? If it was the hatchet woman, she head aint good. Six (6) months for theft costing $59.70? It cost the State 100 times that amount to feed and house him for six months. I personally think she trying to undermine we; ah feel sorry for poor people”. Comrade! Do something.
Them deodorant expensive boy…
In our backward little country, only poor people go to jail for petty theft. Wealthy or prominent people are never imprisoned for their big-time thefts.
Being hungry is no excuse.
Hundreds of hungry Vincentians are fed free at the feeding stations, The Salvation Army and the Catholic Cathedral both feed the hungry and feed the hundreds of homeless, every day of the year. Even school children who’s parents are unable to feed them, and there are many.
The government do nothing for the hungry. If it wasn’t for the Salvation Army and the Catholic Church people would be starving and dieing on the streets and in the gutters.
What a government.
@C-ben…Its more than backwardness, its dotishness of the highest order.
Community Service? Why put the guy in jail for petty theft? I am certain the streets in Kingstown and its surroundings can do with a cleaning. Its clear that this fool has not learned anything from being previously incarcerated. Its a waste of tax payers money, to put him in jail…a couple hrs of community service and lets move on…leave the jail for more serious crimes.
We have to start thinking outside the box…not everything you put people in jail for…when you thief big money, you go to jail; when you thief government property, you go to jail; when you take out a loan and you refuse to pay it back, you go to jail; when you molest people girl children when they come looking for a job, you go to jail…found guilty of corruption, you go to jail; when you are the police and found guilty of abusing your power, like beating the crap out of a minor, you go to jail.
I guess when you hungry, the brain cells not functioning…stealing deodorant because you hungry?..Mm…the Judge in this case is as stupid as the culprit…common sense is not so common, as Mother Priam used to say.