Burglar sentenced to 118 years jail

A MAN, with 18 previous burglary convictions who appeared in court yesterday charged with 18 more, was sentenced to 118 years imprisonment by a San Fernando magistrate, before whom the burglar pleaded guilty to all charges. However, Richard Williams, 42, aka Tony Bennett, of King’s Wharf, San Fernando, will only serve eight years in prison, the maximum for a charge of house-breaking and larceny, since the sentences for each of the 18 charges were ordered to be served concurrently. Court prosecutor Cpl Kazim Ali had the unenviable task of reading the facts to the court for each of the 18 charges against Williams, an exercise which took over an hour to complete.

However, while the facts were being read to the court, Williams sat listening as cool as a cucumber, sometimes tugging at his scraggly beard. As each charge was called out, Williams calmly replied, “guilty.” Williams received his 118-year sentence from Magistrate Rajendra Rambachan in the San Fernando Fourth Court. The court heard that Williams’ burglary spree happened between August and November 2002. During that time, he struck at houses from Vistabella to Marabella and San Fernando. Williams stole some $40,000 worth of cash, jewelry and food items from various households. None of the items were recovered. When arrested last weekend, Williams admitted to police, “You see all them crime on St Vincent Street, is I who do it.” Williams, who was not represented in court yesterday, explained that after his home was repossessed by the bank for defaulting on his mortgage payment, he resorted to burglary to survive. At the end of the case, magistrate Rambachan said, “Commendation must be given to the police who were able to solve these 18 various forms of house break-ins by Williams.” The charges were laid by Cpl Matthew Noel, PCs Khamraj Sahadeo, Santlal, Elbourne, Sandiford, Bachan, Sambury and WPC Mc Dowell.