A 20-year-old labourer of Chauncey was on Monday remanded in custody until Wednesday to await sentencing for stealing EC$9,000 in cash from his 89-year-old neighbour’s bank account.
Sibran Allen used Ralph Williams’ ATM card to drain the money from the retirees account between June 11 and 15.
However, Williams asked the court to not jail Allen because it would embarrass the community.
He asked that the young thief be ordered to repay the money.
Allen pleaded guilty before the Serious Offences Court to charges that:
- on June 11, at Super J, Kingstown, he stole EC$400 in cash, Williams’ property;
- on June 11, at Mesopotamia, he stole EC$600 in cash, Williams’ property;
- on June 12, at Chauncey, he stole one BoSVG ATM card valued at EC$15, Williams’ property;
- on June 12, at Halifax Street, Kingstown, he stole EC$1,000 in cash, Williams’ property;
- on June 12, at Chauncey, he stole one BOSVG Bank card valued at EC$15, Williams’ property;
- on June 12, at Reigate, Kingstown he stole EC$1,000 in cash, Williams’ property;
- on June 13, at Super J, Kingstown, he stole EC$2,000 in cash, Williams’ property;
- on June 14, at Layou, he stole EC$2,000 in cash, Williams’ property;
- on June 15, at Layou, stole EC$2,000 in cash, Williams’ property;
The facts, as presented by the prosecutor, Inspector of Police Renrick Cato, are that Williama opened a savings account at BoSVG on May 21 and deposited EC$10,000 in it.
William had an ATM card that was linked to the account and used it on June 4 to withdraw EC$1,000.
He then placed the ATM card in his wallet and returned home, leaving the wallet in the pocket of his pants, which he hung up in his bedroom.
On June 20, Williams went to the said pants and checked for the card to go to Kingstown to draw money but the card was missing.
The following day, he went to the bank headquarters and told them that his card had been stolen and he wanted to make a withdrawal.
However, when the teller checked the account, it was empty. The bank’s records showed ATM withdrawal corresponding to the dates and places in the charges.
On June 23, Williams reported the matter to the Questelles Police Station and detective Corporal 134 Hadley Ballantyne conducted an investigation during which he obtained footage from the bank.
The footage showed Allen making the withdrawals.
Allen was arrested and he gave the police a statement under caution in the presence of a justice of the peace, admitting to the offence.
He told the detective that he had been going to Williams’ home frequently since he was a child.
Allen further said he found the ATM card in Williams’ yard on June 10 and used it to make a withdrawal, after which he returned the card to Williams’ house.
He told the investigator that he guessed Williams’ PIN, using a fact that he knew about the virtual complainant.
He said that on June 12, he went back to Williams’ home, took the card and made several withdrawals.
In mitigation, Allen said, “Honestly I’m young. I now come out of school and it’s the first time I see dem kind of money.”
He said he graduated from St. Martin’s Secondary School with six subjects, including maths and English, all at grades I or II.
He said he did not go to college because of his parents’ financial situation but worked at Sandals for a year.
The defendant said he then used the money he had saved to enrol in college but dropped out when it ran out because he was unable to work and attend school at the same time.
He told the court that after quitting college, he worked in construction but was now working at Pro Max Tire in Chauncey.
Allen told the court that he used the stolen money to buy a pair of New Balance sneakers for EC$550 because he did not have proper sneakers.
“You had to buy New Balance?” Senior Magistrate Colin John asked.
“No,” Allen responded.
“You want to brand out?” the magistrate said.
Counsel Grant Connell, who was sitting at the bar table but was not involved in the case, commented that Allen was wearing Nike sneakers in court.
“This come from foreign; don’t watch it,” Allen said, and a police officer rebuked him for his tone, telling him to speak respectfully.
Meanwhile, Williams told the court that he and Allen are neighbours and asked that the court order him to pay back the money and not send him to prison.
“… we’re living as nice neighbours and if he goes to prison, it will bring disgrace to the community,” he said.
He told the court that Allen had stolen EC$12,000, including EC$2,000 previously.
The retiree said that he would sometimes miss money, such as EC$100 but because Allen was a schoolboy they never suspected him.
“… When he started to take thousands…” Williams told the court, adding that he got the ATM card around the same time that he buried his wife.
Williams again asked the court not to send Allen to prison but to give him time to pay back the money.
The senior magistrate told Allen that while Williams had made a request, the court needed to allow him to experience prison to decide if he wanted to continue on a path of crime.
John adjourned the matter to Wednesday for sentencing and ordered that Allen be remanded in custody until then.
“You will see how round prison stop,” the magistrate told the defendant.
This is a pretty sad story , this young man needs an opportunity to leave this country to see him achieve his potential , he is no real thief but he did something wrong , had to drop out twice from school ,was able to work out the mans password base on his knowledge of the older man but he works in construction and never see that king of money in he life , he has champagne taste with mauby pockets , i hope he is not given jail time as the victim has ask ,i see this youngster as a victim in today’s svg ( he is no criminal , as yet , but want a better life ) and i am sure he is not the only one that will do something wrong given the chance and opportunity ,he should leave this country soon
Andrew Cummings if the shoe was on the other foot you would gave surely feel the squeeze. It is all right to sanitize the man’s behavior because of partisan politics or what ever feelings you may have. At the end of the day, the man is a thief.