Jail for green fig thief

A 38-year-old Moruga man was yesterday sentenced to 12 months imprisonment after pleading guilty to stealing a bunch of green figs from the backyard of a pensioner and trespassing on cultivated land. Tony Andrews was sentenced when he appeared before Magistrate Jai Narine in the Princes Town First Court. The charges were laid by PC Aldwin Toussaint. Ag Sgt Zamsheed Mohammed prosecuted. Andrews, of St Mary’s Village, was sentenced to six months on both counts but would only serve six months since the sentences run concurrently. According to the evidence related by ag Sgt Mohammed, Andrews entered the yard of 84-year-old Rupert Gilbert at around 10.30 am on February 7. Gilbert lived at Douglas Road in St Mary’s Village, Moruga.

The evidence read that Gilbert heard a noise at the back of his house and investigated. He saw Andrews, whom he knew for over 30 years, in his backyard among the banana trees with a cutlass in his hand. Gilbert said he called out to Andrews, who cut a bunch of green bananas and ran off.  The bananas were valued at $25. Gilbert made a report to the St Mary’s Police Post and PC Toussaint conducted investigations. Andrews was eventually arrested Wednesday on a warrant. Magistrate Narine noted the offence was committed against someone he knew, who was also a senior citizen. After taking other factors into consideration, he passed the sentences on Andrews.