A Georgetown man who in December told a magistrate in Kingstown he had traded stolen hair products for sex has been freed of a charge that he stole watermelons and sweet peppers in his hometown.
The man, Kent Johnson aka Pumpkin, 41, was charged that on Oct. 5, 2024, he stole a quantity of sweet peppers valued at EC$100 and two watermelons valued at EC$32, the property of Hazzard Joseph, of New Chapmans, Georgetown.
He was freed on a technicality as both items were listed in the same charge, and though the prosecutor, acting Sergeant of Police Corlene Samuel. made out a case for the theft of the watermelon, she fell short as regards the sweet peppers.
During the trial, Joseph testified that she plants mainly vegetables and fruits at Langley Park.
On Oct. 5, about 3 p.m., she left the farm with everything in order. However, when she returned the next day, she observed her sweet peppers and watermelons were missing.
Joseph said she received information about her produce, telephoned the Georgetown Police Station and made a report.
She told the court she carved her initials into the watermelons when they were about the size of a grapefruit.
Joseph said the watermelons were about a week away from being ready for harvest when they were stolen.
“Did you come and see I steal your watermelon and sweet peppers?” Johnson asked Joseph in cross examination.
Joseph responded, “No”.
Johnson then informed the court that he had no further questions for Joseph.
“Me done with that. Me and she nah ha nutten and me done wid dat,” the defendant told the court.
The second witness, Kelroy Balcombe, a farmer and cousin to Joseph, told the court that on Oct. 5, about 7 p.m., he met Johnson near the Langley Park Government School with a “big mill feed sack” over his shoulder.
He said he took the bag from Johnson and when he opened it, he saw that it contained his passion fruits and two watermelons with the initial “HJ”, which he recognised as Joseph’s.
Balcombe said he told Joseph about the watermelons and later called the police.
“What did you told (sic) me when you took the bag from me?” Johnson asked Balcombe in cross examination.
“I told you if ever I meet you with my produce, I will never lock you up. I have intention to kill you,” the witness replied.
Magistrate Kawanna Jacobs, who was writing, looked up as if in shock and told the witness,
“Mr Balcombe, I can’t have those things here.”
“Yes, Your Honour!” Balcombe responded.
However, he continued: “I told him I was going to kill him ‘cause he overdoing it. I told him anytime I meet him on my lands, I will kill him.”
The next witness was the investigator PC194 Browne who told the court he visited the farm on Oct. 6, when he received the report.
Browne said he saw what appeared to be freshly picked watermelons and sweet peppers. He also saw fresh footprints next to the sweet peppers.
Browne told the court he visited Balcombe’s home and Balcombe handed over to him two watermelons with the initial “HJ”, which he kept as exhibits.
He testified that Johnson did not give a written statement but said he had picked the watermelons from somebody’s land.
During cross examination, Johnson asked the investigator, “How come you didn’t find sweet peppers in the bag, only watermelons?”
Browne told the court only the watermelons were recovered.
In his defence, Johnson said, “Nuff people fighting me cause I do a lot of thief thing. I went to help a friend pick some golden apples and I had some passion fruit on me.”
While Johnson was freed of the charge, he was not free to leave as he was serving a one-year jail sentence.
In December, Senior Magistrate Tammika Mc Kezenie jailed Johnson after he suggested at the Kingstown Magistrate Court that he did not have the means to pay compensation or a fine for stolen items.
He had pleaded guilty to a charge that on Dec. 14, 2024, at Kingstown, he stole two bottles of perfume, valued at EC$178, two bottles of fashion hair products, valued at EC$104 and two bottles of hair products, valued at EC$70, total value EC$352, the property of Diamond Girl Store, Kingstown.
During mitigation, Johnson told the court that he had given the hair products to a woman who lives on the street for sex.