Magum resident Philion Lavia, 41, has been jailed for one year and two months for burglarising his sister’s home and stealing EC$600 in items.
In handing down the sentence on Monday, Kingstown Magistrate John Ballah noted that Lavia was motivated by greed as he said he wanted to make “a hustle” off the stolen items.
Lavia pleaded guilty to a charge that on Sept. 2, at Magum Village, he entered the dwelling house of Letricia Lavia as a trespasser and stole one black sports book bag, valued at EC$160; one black and brown, leopard colour Michael Kors purse, valued at EC$120; one yellow purse with golden straps, valued at EC$120; one plain black purse with a golden string, valued at EC$80; one black cowboy hat, valued at EC$60, one black power pack, valued at EC$150; and, one white flash drive, valued at EC$60, total value EC$600, the property of Letricia Lavia of Magum.
According to the facts presented by the prosecutor, acting Corporal of Police Shamrock Pierre, Lavia is in the habit of stealing from his sister, with whom he is on good terms.
On Saturday, about 3 p.m., Letricia Lavia secured in her house a quantity of items, valued at EC$600, belonging to her.
The complainant secured the house by placing a piece of stick in the window slide track and locking the deadbolt on the door.
Letricia Lavia attended a function in Kingstown and when she returned home about 10:15 p.m., she saw the house secured as she had left it.
However, when Letricia Lavia went inside to open a window located on the eastern side of the building, one side of the window came off in her hand as it had been broken out.
The complainant went outside to sit and while there, her nephew went and told her that her brother had been inside of the house earlier in the day.
Letricia Lavia checked inside the house and realised that the items complained of were missing.
She reported the matter to the police the following day and Philion was arrested.
Police executed a search warrant at this home but none of the stolen items were recovered.
In mitigation, Philion Lavia told the court that he works in Orange Hill, building and laying bricks and plastering concrete walls. He said he is also an auto mechanic.
Ballah began his sentence at 20% of the maximum seven years in prisons.
After taking into account the aggravating and mitigating features of the offence and the offender and applying the one-third discount for the early guilty plea, the magistrate arrived at the final sentence of one year and two months in prison.
I think this man was high on something, surely come on man your sister, shame on you, what ever punishments you get you deserve it and more, that is too close to home man,
I believe he have sticky fingers and he knew where to find his sister belongings.