Two men whom the prosecution and defence described as “seasoned criminals” have been jailed for stealing four sheep, which the police found stuffed into the trunk of a rental car.
The vigilance of Corporal 701 Shorn Williams and officers from the Glen Mobile Station on Nov. 25, 2023, resulted in the arrest of three men in connection with the theft of the four black belly ewes.
When the matter was called at the Georgetown Magistrate’s Court, Tristan Williams, of Long Wall, who was 18 at the time of the offence, was represented by lawyer Carl Williams.
He changed his plea to guilty.
However, his co-accused, Romano Jacobs, 23, of Lowmans Windward, and Lynron Prince, 37, of Greiggs, maintained their not-guilty pleas.
Magistrate Kaywana Jacobs found them guilty after a trial and jailed them for 14 months.
Both the prosecutor Corporal of Police Delando Charles and defence counsel Williams described them as “seasoned criminals” while one witness told the court it was “not the first time we’re dealing with Prince and Jacobs when it comes to stealing animals”.
The court concluded that the defendant played a lesser role in the crime and was a victim of circumstance.
The magistrate ordered him to pay the owner of the sheep EC$500 in compensation in one month or serve two months in prison.
She also bonded him for six months in the sum of EC$600 or two months in prison.
On Sept. 2, the virtual complainant (VC) Joseph Barker of Mt Grennan told the court that on Nov. 25, 2023, about 7 a.m., he tied 15 of his sheep and went to Diamond.
When he returned for them about 5 p.m., four of the sheep were missing.
Barker said he made a report to the Colonarie Police Station that same day and they informed him that four sheep were at the Biabou Police Station.
The root crop and livestock farmer said that he went to Biabou Police Station where he identified three of his sheep, which “bawl and came to me”.
He said he also described the animals’ identification marks to police.
Barker said he also identified the 11-inch rope-and-marble-link chain of the fourth sheep. However, the police officers told him that the sheep was found dead in the trunk of the vehicle in which they were intercepted and the officer buried it.
Barker said he did not give anyone permission to remove his ruminants.
Officers intercept rented car
Meanwhile, Corporal Williams testified that he and other officers were on mobile patrol in Greiggs in police vehicle TR239 when they saw motor vehicle RZ116, a baby blue rental.
Williams said both vehicles were on a narrow road and the rental, the tinted windows of which were turned up, did not stop.
The officers used the police vehicle to block the rental from proceeding.
The police then found the sheep in the trunk of the vehicle, which they took to Biabou Police Station, but when they got there, one of the sheep was dead.
Williams said a bulletin was sent to all police stations to notify them about the animal.
Meanwhile, the investigating officer PC 973 King, told the court that on the said date, about 7:10 p.m., the VC reported against unknown persons for the theft of four black belly ewe sheep.
King said he later arrested the defendants for the offence of theft.
During cross examination of the prosecution witnesses, both defendants read questions that they apparently had prepared before the trial.
However, the magistrate and prosecutor, continuously rebuked them as they kept speaking to each other.
At one point the magistrate separated both defendants, oredering one to sit while the other gave evidence.
Prince said animals were his, telling the court that he and his two co-accused were in Kingstown when he told them that people were stealing his sheep.
Prince said he decided to go to Greiggs to pick up four of the animals and they came upon the police vehicle but the officer did not ask who owns the animals.
He said the police took him to Mesopotamia and later to Colonarie police station and he asked them to take him to his house to see that he had sheep, but they refused.
Instead the officer charged him for “my sheep” and brought him to court the next day, Prince said.
Jacobs admits to history of theft of animals
Meanwhile, Jacobs told the court that he knows Prince well and while he was at Williams’ father’s shop when Prince visited. Prince told him he had some sheep he wanted to sell and asked Williams if he would “tek the wuk to go to for them”.
He said Williams agreed.
Jacobs said he told the officers the animals belonged to Prince and that they had collected them from Prince’s home during the daylight and he never went to Mt Grenan with anyone to steal sheep.
“I had animal matters in the court, so the officers did not believe me,” he said.
The magistrate found the two men guilty.
Lawyer asks for leniency
Meanwhile, mitigating on behalf of his client on Sept. 9, Williams asked the court not to send the teen to prison.
He said his client was “led by two seasoned criminals” and did not play a major role in the joint enterprise.
Williams said his client was still a youth, remorseful, gainfully employed, assisted police with their investigations, is of good character and had no previous charge.
Jacobs asked the court to impose a fine saying that he was going through an issue with his bail condition, resulting in him being remanded for six months.
However, the prosecutor told the court that Jacobs had been granted bail, suggesting that he was unable to secure a surety.
Jacobs said further that he has been in prison for six months, adding, “I have a son which I never get to touch him to say nothing to him.”
In mitigation, Prince told the court he has money and asked to be allowed to pay a fine.
Prosecutor asks for leniency, prison terms
In his submissions on sentencing, Charles asked the court not to send Williams to prison, saying he was a good candidate for rehabilitation, whom Jacobs had deliberately targeted.
Charles, however, asked the court to send a message to the public that ignorance of the law is no excuse.
He suggested a custodial sentence for Jacobs and Prince, saying they exploited the teen’s vulnerability, knowing he could aid in the commission of a crime.
The prosecutor said that about 80% of the district depends heavily on farming and both men’s conviction sheets show that they are “seasoned criminals”.
He also asked the court to consider the VC’s loss in that one of the sheep had died.
Magistrate implore Jacobs, Prince to change
After handing down her sentence, the magistrate implored Jacobs to join the programmes in prison to be productive to society.
However, counsel Williams said there’s no rehabilitation in prison except carpentry and craft.
“Think about your son,” the magistrate told Jacobs.
“It have nothing in prison to change my mindset. I done see where I go wrong,” he said.
The magistrate told Prince at aged 37, he had already set a track record.
Prince is also awaiting sentencing in a matter in which he was jointly charged under the Praedial Larceny Act for obtaining one black cattle valued at EC$5,000, the property of Andy Davis, of Arnos Vale, and at the time of doing so, did not possess a certificate of receipt at Argyle between July 16-20.