The Fancy man who, in December, pleaded guilty to theft of two ewe sheep, value EC$750, and a ram goat, value, EC$450, and unlawful possession of one sheep, has been jailed for his crimes.
On Thursday, at the Colonarie Magistrate’s Court, Magistrate Bertie Pompey sentenced Ericson Joslyn, 26, to 12 months imprisonment for theft and eight months for unlawful possession.
The sentences will run concurrently.
The sentences were handed down on the day that Joslyn came to court, having failed to attend on two occasions after being granted bail and, later, bench warranted.
On Dec. 12, 2018, when he was arraigned at the Kingstown Magistrate’s Court, Joslyn pleaded guilty to the charge.
Senior Magistrate Rickie Burnett had granted him EC$2,000 bail with one surety and ordered him to appear before Pompey on Dec. 17, 2018 for the hearing of the facts and sentencing.
However, Joslyn failed to attend court until last Thursday.
On Thursday, the court heard that on Dec. 10, 2018, police, acting on information, intercepted Joslyn in motor vehicle R9555 in Calliaqua.
The vehicle was found to contain a brown ram goat, value EC$450, the property of Henville Munroe, of Langley Park.
He was also charged that on the same date he had in his possession two black and brown ewe sheep, total value $750, the property of Godwin Billy, of Langley Park.
The other ruminant was not claimed, resulting in the unlawful possession charge.
Ericson Joslyn told the court that he lives with and takes care of his father.
He further said he has two children and his girlfriend is pregnant.
The unemployed man also explained that he has bills to pay and there was nothing in the house for them to eat.
“I am guilty, mom never taught me to steal from anyone,” said Joslyn, who also told the court that he and friends had contributed to renting the vehicle in which the stolen animals were found.
In handing down his sentence, Pompey told Joslyn that his was a very serious offence.
He noted that his crime had been committed in an agricultural community.
“He’s remorseful but I still have a duty to protect,” Pompey said.
He said he had taken into account the early guilty plea and the fact that the animals had been recovered.
Joslyn was initially scheduled to be sentenced on Dec. 17, 2018 and told the court that he had gone to Kingstown to see a lawyer.
He offered no explanations for his failure to attend court on the other days.
Before the sentencing, the prosecution had informed the court that Joslyn had said that lawyer Grant Connell was representing him.
The magistrate proceeded in the absence of the lawyer.
Call him a goat thief.
My friend told in Jamaica they usually kill goat thieves, why not in Vincy? Rationale one less goat thief to deal with.