A man who picked 12 oranges from a farm in South Rivers before fleeing when the owner arrived, told the court that he was going to use them to make juice.
On Thursday, Joe Bushay, 28, of South Rivers pleaded guilty at the Colonarie Magistrate’s Court, sitting at Georgetown, to charge that on July 27, at South Rivers, he stole 12 oranges valued EC$10, the property of Michael Brewster, also of South Rivers.
The facts, presented by the prosecutor, Corporal 817 Stapleton, are that Brewster, 66, farms on lands at Grays Fields in South Rivers.
On July 26, he left his field around 10:30 a.m.
The next day, he went back to his field and met Bushay in one of his orange trees. When Bushay saw Brewster, he ran, leaving 12 oranges under the tree.
In mitigation, Bushay told the court that he was going home from work and he did not see anyone so he went and picked oranges to make juice.
“He (Brewster) tell me get off his land. And this is my first time in front of you on them petty things dey. I wanted to go make juice,” Bushay told the court.
Magistrate Bertie Pompey, commented that the defendant’s antecedents show him to be a violent but not a dishonest person.
He bonded Bushay to keep the peace for one year in the sum of EC$500. If he breaches the peace, he must pay the sum forthwith or spend three months in prison.
Pompey also ordered the defendant to compensate Brewster in the sum of EC$10 forthwith or spend two weeks in prison.
Please, can anyone explain to me how going home from work and not seeing anyone and going and picking oranges to make juice in any way mitigates the crime committed? Surely, just because you want to go make juice doesn’t give you the right to steal a farmer’s crop.
Hmmm