A thirty-seven-year-old man of Plaisance, East Coast Demerara (ECD) claimed that an extreme state of hunger prompted him to “snatch” a cellular phone when he was brought before the Georgetown Magistrates’ Courts earlier today (Wednesday) to answer to the charge of simple larceny.
It is alleged that Simon Persaud stole from the person of Adia Agard (Complainant), one Samsung smart phone valued at $60,000 on October 30 2017 at Avenue of the Republic, in Georgetown.
Persaud readily admitted to the offence and told the court of presiding Magistrate Fabayo Azore that he was hungry and decided to try the “phone snatching thing” he had heard about. He said that after the complainant alerted the police in the area, he started to run “wild” neither knowing what he was doing or where he was going when he was apprehended by the police.
“I’m sorry, it’s the first time I try something like this and I get catch”, he said in an apology to the complainant before the court.
Upon hearing his explanation the Magistrate rhetorically questioned “What to do with you?” to which the accused suggested community service as he pleaded with the Magistrate not to send him to prison with hardened criminals.
Moreover, he indicated that he was a labourer by trade and most of his family resides overseas with no one to pay his fine.
Having considered all mitigating factors in the circumstances- the remorse of the accused and the fact that the phone was recovered among other things- the Magistrate sentenced him to serve six months community service at the Brickdam Police Station (Georgetown) on every Friday of the week.
Persaud thanked the Magistrate and vowed to be a law-abiding citizen as he was happily escorted out of the courtroom.
