Men steal steel to rebuild pig pens

Stephen Jaggernath, 35; Jimmy Lalla, 34; Satrohan Ramlochan, 40, and the boy appeared before Magistrate Cherril-Anne Antoine yesterday in the San Fernando Court.They were charged with larceny of 17 lengths of steel at Debe Trace, Debe on Wednesday morning. They pleaded guilty and accepted the facts as presented.

But attorney Wayne Rajbansie highlighted the circumstances of Jaggernath and the boy which led to their decision to steal the steel, as a point for the court to show leniency in its sentencing. Rajbansie said Jaggernath and the boy, both of San Francique, were farmers who lost all of their crops and livestock including a number of pigs in the flood waters two weeks ago.

In an attempt to rebuild their source of income, they both acquired the help of Lalla also of San Francique, and Ramlochan of Fyzabad, to steal the steel lengths to help build a pig pen. As neither of the men had any previous convictions, Rajbansie begged for the court’s mercy and assured that his clients are deeply sorry.

The court heard that at about 4.30 am on Wednesday, PC Avidesh Narine of the San Fernando Task Force ordered that a truck driven by Jaggernath and a car driven by Ramlochan be brought to stop on Pluck Road in Woodland.

Narine noticed the truck tray filled with lengths of steel and asked about their origin.

The three men and the boy admitted to taking the steel and even offered to take Narine to where they stole it from.

Narine arrested them and later visited NIDCO’s office in Golconda to confirm the steel belonged to them. A project manager accompanied Narine to the Marabella Police Station and, after seeing red dots on the lengths used by NIDCO to assign ownership, confirmed it belonged to the company.

Magistrate Antoine remanded Jaggernath, Lalla and Ramlochan into custody until their sentencing on July 13.

The boy however, was released on $15,000 bail when he appeared before Magistrate Kerrianne Byer on Wednesday afternoon. He too will be sentenced on July 13.