Arima car thief jailed

An Arima man was yesterday jailed for four years hard labour after a Port-of-Spain magistrate found him guilty on a charge of larceny. Forty-year-old Trevor Britto, a construction worker, pleaded with Magistrate Ejenny Espinet for leniency in the city’s First Court after she made the ruling. Peter Rovedas of Quarry Road in San Juan told the court he was at Maracas Bay on June 24, 2001.  He secured his car near the beach. On his return, Rovedas discovered his car missing. He reported the matter to the Maracas Bay police a short distance away. Officers who responded to the report, intercepted the vehicle about an hour later in the Blanchisseuse area.

At the time, the vehicle was being driven by the accused, who was making his way back to Arima. Britto was taken back to the Maracas Bay Police Station where he was charged by acting Cpl Darryl La Pierre. After hearing the evidence from three witnesses, including the car owner, the magistrate ruled that Britto serve four years in prison with hard labour. “I see here that you have two previous convictions. When you do this sort of thing, people no longer feel safe to leave their cars anywhere.” Britto begged Espinet to pass an easy sentence on him. “Miss, I have a young baby to take care of. She is one and a half years old and I want to be around to take care of her,” said Britto, but Magistrate Espinet remained unmoved.