A labourer who claimed he was elsewhere during a burglary but had challenges saying where has been jailed for one year and five months
Magistrate Kaywana Jacobs handed down the sentence on Collin Phil Blake aka Shitcop, 45, of Georgetown, on Monday at the Georgetown Magistrate’s Court.
Blake stole EC$3 from businessman Venold Coombs, whose home he burglarised.
During the trial on Feb. 17, Blake told the court that he was at the home of his girlfriend in Green Hill at the time of the burglary.
Blake was convicted of the charge that on Aug. 6, 2024, at Georgetown, he entered the dwelling house of Venold Coombs as a trespasser and stole EC$3, Coombs’ property.
Coombs testified that he lives on the top floor of his house, and a church is on the ground floor.
Coombs said that on Aug. 6, 2024, about 3 a.m., he was asleep in a chair when he was awoken by a noise.
He said he saw Blake, whom he has known for over 20 years, going through his bag which contained the EC$3 and documents relating to his work.
Coombs said he told Blake, “Yo thieving a**. I will call police on you.”
He said he recognised Blake because the kitchen light was on and lit up the room.
Coombs said nothing was obstructing his view and Blake also looked at him before fleeing into the bedroom and escaping through a window through which he had entered the house.
Coombs told the court that he did not give anyone permission to enter his house.
During cross examination, Blake asked Coombs:
“Why you didn’t knock me down when I came into the house?”
Coombs responded that he is not a violent person and deals with the law.
“Me go break your house and take three dollars?” Blake asked Coombs.
During re-examination by the prosecutor, acting Sergeant of Police Corlene Samuel, Blake took a relatively long time to answer questions about where he was on the night in question, the name of his girlfriend, and the location of her house.
Asked his girlfriend’s name, Balke responded “Bowens”. When the prosecutor asked about her first name, he said, “Larry”.
He said Bowens lives “to the back of Green Hill, par them build plan houses”, adding that he never gave police this information.
“That is because on that night you were at Coombs’ house,” Samuel told Blake.
“No,” Blake said.
The prosecutor, in her submission on sentencing, told the magistrate that Blake had a full trial and didn’t show any remorse. She said that although the amount stolen was small in value, Blake went into the VC’s house. Additionally, his criminal record shows similar offences.
After applying the sentencing guidelines to the facts of the case, the magistrate arrived at a sentence of one year and five months imprisonment.
Jacobs said she would not depart from the guidelines as Blake did not have an alibi and seemed “elusive and was making up information on the spot” when asked where he was on the night of the incident by the prosecutor.
She said Blake had a long history before the court since the age of 19 and although most of the convictions were spent, it did not seem as though he intended to change.
Jacobs also said that the court must send a strong message to the public.
PC 425 Arrindell was the investigator.