An 18-year-old Community College student has been bonded to keep the peace for six months after pleaded guilty to stealing a number of hair products from Jax Enterprises Ltd. in Kingstown on Jan. 10.
If Onelia Cato breaks the bond, she will have to pay the court EC$900 forthwith or go to jail for six months.
She was charged with stealing one bottle of Dream Kids moisturising Conditioner value EC$13,75, one Dream Kids Anti-Breakage Hair strengthener, value EC$13.75, one bottle of Mega Growth Smoother polisher, value EC$10.75 and one Pears soap, value EC$3.75, total value EC$42, the property of Jax Enterprises Ltd.
She pleaded guilty to the charge on Friday when she appeared before Chief Magistrate Rechanne Browne at the Serious Offences Court.
The court heard that last Thursday, Jan. 10, about 1:50 p.m., Cato entered the store carrying a brown handbag over her arms.
She went to the cosmetics aisle and removed a quantity of items.
The security guard, who was monitoring her via the store’s surveillance systems, noticed that the woman then went to the household aisle and stood a short time there.
She then went to the bookshelf, picked up a book and paid for it then exited the store without paying for the other items.
The security guard then intercepted Cato under the gallery of the store, identified himself and told her of his observations.
He invited her back into the store and she consented to a search, where the items were discovered in her handbag.
The police were called in and Cato admitted to the offence.
The woman told the court that she stole the items for her younger
sister.
She said that she immediately regretted her action but was too nervous to return them to the shelf.
The chief magistrate responded:
“If it were food, I would be softer even… It’s not things that you need. These are wants.”
Chief Prosecutor Adolphus Delplesche commented that the items might be food for beautification.
“That’s not necessary,” the magistrate said.
“In these days, you have to keep up with the Joneses,” the prosecutor further commented.
In sentencing the woman, the chief magistrate noted that she had pleaded guilty at the first opportunity and that the stolen items were in good condition.
She, however, said that she did not believe the defendant when she said she immediately regretted what she had done.
Browne further noted that Cato could have left the items anywhere in the store.
Why putting her pic on social media why dint you all address the killing and raping amount law informants in st vincent, stealing is wrong but at the same time the government is not providing jobs for people, am not saying that they should steal but some of these thing dont need to make news..you need to address the tape and killing first. Murderers are walking the street no justice for grieving families..vincy is a sad place to live.
I-witness news boy, you cold…publish a photo of de girl too lol
Publishing the story is ok, but please don’t publish the photo of these young first time offenders. She is attending college. Please help her to rehabilitate; don’t spoil her name like that. Her name should not even be in the papers. Seriously, something like this can cause her to end her life. Try to help young people. These goods cost $42. I will not encourage theft, but don’t destroy her for less than $50.00.
Really Kenton?
Wow what the young lady did was wrong but I don’t think that its right you put her picture up their sometimes we as young people makes mistakes without even thinking about the consequences.how ever I hope that this doesn’t make her drop out of school and she use it as a lesson.
Very sad I don’t think you did the right thing this time by putting up a pic of the young lady you might have done more harm than good by posting a pic of her .
Come on Mr.Journalist, it wasn’t necessary for the young lady’s photo, we all fall short and make mistakes. Hopefully she can rebound from this issue and go on to being great.
I agreed with those comments, there are greater issues in SVG to deal with rather posting pic of the young student..I am not saying what she did is right i totally condone such behaviour where others make their eyes longer than their hands and fingers. Posting pic of this person can cause other psychological damages to her future endeavors. Society should able to rehabilitate and offer conselling when young people caught in these illegal activities. We all have our short comings by making mistake at the same time not the media rights to posted a person image in the public eyes there are much bigger fishes out there to deal with rather trying to destroying ones future character.
OOOOO no, she pleaded guilty, is on bond but still, iwitness News see it fitting to post her picture, Not saying what happened is right but better judgment should be exercised regarding the impact of your action by using her photo. Jax where is your forgiveness? I think you could of deal with the matter differently, especially if it was her first time. God, help us, give us a heart and understanding that do not benefit only ourselves and love ones but also to others. The photo was not necessary.