Mango thief gets three months

A man accused of stealing four mangoes, yesterday pleaded guilty and was sentenced to three months’ imprisonment by Port-of-Spain Magistrate Lianne Lee Kim. Henry Phillip, 43, a laid-off Government worker was charged with praedial larceny and entering enclosed premises. It was reported that around 12.30 am on Thursday, a resident of Golf Course Drive, Maraval, noticed a man jump over a wall surrounding her home, climb her mango tree, then pick the fruit. She alerted PC Marvin Peters, who was on patrol in the area. The man was immediately arrested.

Phillips sat trembling and fidgeting in the holding dock while the charges were read to him. Before he was called upon to plead, he began to speak but was sternly hushed by his mother who was seated in the public gallery. When called upon to plead he told the magistrate that he was going to be baptised on Monday and that he did not want to go to jail because he was constantly beaten by other prisoners. “Well your baptism will have to be put off, sir,” she replied. He was then sentenced to three months.