On Saturday, Terry Winston Stowe pleaded guilty to stealing $600 belonging to Yvette Jordan on August 18.

The 30-year-old unemployed man went before Magistrate Douglas Frederick, who ordered him to pay that amount in compensation to Jordan by today.

The complainant was not there today to collect the money. Therefore, Stowe, a resident of Ulster Road, Grazettes, St Michael, paid it to the court.

The District ‘A’ Magistrates Court heard earlier that Jordan gave Stowe the money to get something for her. However, he did not return with either the item or the money.

Stowe told the court that he owed someone money and had used Jordan’s to honour that debt.

“How are we going to stop you from doing this again?” asked Frederick today.

“I already intend not to do any favours for anyone,” Stowe replied.

He was placed on a three-month bond to keep the peace and be of good behaviour. If he breaches the bond, he will be jailed for three months.

“You took up a lock and almost got lock up.”

That was the correlation which Magistrate Douglas Frederick remarked to Albert Athelston Doyle, who admitted stealing a $75.57 lock-set from a Bridgetown store on Saturday.

The Leinster Road, Waterford, St Michael man went before the District ‘A’ Magistrates’ Court today.

The facts which Sergeant Martin Rock read, revealed that the 48-year-old man went to Carters & Company Limited on High Street. While there, a security guard noticed him in the aisle searching through his bag, before asking the cost of a lock-set.

Doyle then walked to the front of the store and asked another employee the cost of the same item. He then placed the lock-set in an open space behind him, took a paper from inside his bag, put it over the lock and put both items inside his bag before leaving the store.

When the guard confronted him and requested a search, the lock-set was handed over.

When Magistrate Frederick referred to Doyle’s criminal record and the number of similar offences there, Doyle explained that that was when he was young.

“Now I am older,” he said. He added that he was accustomed going to the store and interacting with staff.

The court ordered Doyle to pay $1,000 in one month, with the alternative of three months in prison.

After Christopher Seth Japeth Bynoe pleaded guilty earlier this year to what Magistrate Douglas Frederick described as a “daring” crime, he remanded the youth pending a presentencing report which the court hoped would reveal something redeeming.

Bynoe, a resident of Forde’s Road, Clapham, St Michael, confessed to assaulting Wendell Foster with intent to rob him, unlawfully and maliciously wounding him and intentionally damaging a partition belonging to the Crown on June 28 this year.

The facts were that the complainant went to the Wildey branch of Rubis close to 1 a.m., to get something to eat. The constable, who was not dressed in uniform, was sitting in his vehicle with the door opened.

It was during that time that Bynoe, with an onion bag over his face, walked up to Foster holding a two-foot long screwdriver, put it to the complainant’s chest and demanded all of his money. The two fought and a security guard eventually came from inside and helped subdue Bynoe.

Foster identified himself as a policeman during the attack. After Bynoe was arrested and detained at the District ‘A’ Police Station, he had also caused damage to a partition by butting it.

Attorney for the first-time offender, Mohia Ma’at told the District ‘A’ Magistrates’ Court on the last occasion that Bynoe definitely had a problem with alcohol, had been “in a highly drunken and intoxicated state” when the incident occurred and “needed help”.

The lawyer further asked Magistrate Frederick to consider community service for Bynoe since he was a first-time offender.

Magistrate Frederick’s response, though, was that the case did not merit community service. He felt that Bynoe had been “very daring” and ordered a presentencing report.

The report, which was presented to the court today, showed that even though persons at the Samuel Jackman Prescod Polytechnic where Bynoe was enrolled felt he had potential, his community had expressed relief on his incarceration.

“Sir, I promise not to go back on that track. Just give me one more chance please . . . ” Bynoe pleaded. The teenager also begged the court not to hit him “too hard”.

Magistrate Frederick expressed the view that Bynoe needed intervention and that sometimes it was necessary for some persons to experience jail so that they could make up their minds that it is “not the place” for them.

“It is not that I want to punish you; I want to rehabilitate you . . . If you accept the drug rehabilitation up there [HMP Dodds] when you come back out, you will be good.”

The Magistrate described Bynoe as “a time bomb”, based on his combined use of cocaine and alcohol. He further expressed concern for the fact that as a first-time offender, Bynoe had started at the high end of the scale.

“Normally a fellow would graduate to this level but you started at the top,” Frederick told the teen.

He added that the complainant as a policeman had to use all his expertise “otherwise he might have been able to fend you off”.

Taking the probation officer’s recommendation into consideration, the Magistrate remanded Bynoe to the Psychiatric Hospital for observation and a report, which will determine his suitability to attend the drug rehabilitation programme at Verdun House.

He returns to court on September 15.

Not even having arthritis was a good enough reason for having 176 grams of marijuana at her home on Sunday.

Therefore, when Samantha Cindy Theresa Bishop went before the District ‘A’ Magistrates’ Court yesterday, she pleaded guilty to three offences of possession of cannabis, trafficking and intent to supply, all on August 23.

Bishop resides at Belle Road No. 1, My Lords Hill, St Michael.

The marijuana was found when police conducted a search of her home and found a loose quantity in a container in her bedroom. They also found two transparent bottles with cannabis seeds on top of the refrigerator.

When Bishop was asked by police to give an account for the drug, she said it was hers which she used for “joint pain”.

In addressing the court yesterday, Bishop told Magistrate Douglas Frederick that she began using marijuana earlier this year after a friend recommended it for her arthritis.

“I got them for that purpose,” the 31-year-old explained.

“So if you have arthritis, why didn’t you go to the doctor?” Magistrate Frederick questioned.

“I did go to the doctor,” Bishop responded.

“But he didn’t recommend that though,” the Magistrate countered.

Bishop agreed that he did not. “They were leaves and they were seeds,” she said, “and I did not expect the situation to escalate like that”.

Taking into consideration that it was her first time breaking the law, Magistrate Frederick ordered Bishop to perform 180 hours of community service and return to court on November 13.

Malachi Isaiah Knight completed only 80 of the 180 hours of community service ordered by a Bridgetown court last year after he had pleaded guilty to unlawfully and maliciously wounding Kiron Lashley.

At the time, Magistrate Graveney Bannister also ordered Knight to undergo counselling for violence and granted him bail, pending the completion of the community service.

Back in court today, the 17-year-old youth of Bonnetts, Brittons Hill, St Michael received the alternative sentence of nine months in prison on the original wounding charge, when he reappeared before Magistrate Bannister.

It came about because while Knight was on bail, he appeared in another court on three charges, including the use of a firearm. He was remanded to HMP Dodds as a result and could not finish the community service.

Knight had been assigned to the National Conservation Commission (NCC) and was assisting in cleaning beaches. The alternative sentence was imposed today when Knight’s community service-related progress report was due.

Had he paid for the items which he stole, Barry St Alban Sobers would have parted with $163.08.

Now, the 1st Avenue Arthur’s Land, St Michael resident has one month in which to pay a Bridgetown court $750, after admitting that he stole four bottles of capsules from the Worthing Massy Store last Saturday.

If he fails to do so, he will face three months in jail. Magistrate Douglas Frederick also placed Sobers on a three-month bond to keep the peace. Any breach will mean an equivalent time in prison.

Sergeant Martin Rock explained that when Sobers entered the supermarket on Saturday, a security guard saw when he took two bottles of Cod Liver Oil capsules and two boxes of Joint Care capsules. The guard informed the manager who then called the police.

Sobers was confronted as he was about to exit the store without paying. A search was conducted and the items found.

The repeat offender explained to the District ‘A’ Magistrates’ Court yesterday that he had “a serious drinking problem”.

“I was under the influence and barely coherent at that time,” Sobers said.

Magistrate Douglas Frederick today dismissed two matters before the District ‘A’ Magistrates’ Court after the complainants indicated they were no longer interested in proceeding with the cases.

The first complainant to do so was Harvey Martindale who told the court he expected to be compensated by Shakir Omari Maycock who was charged with the offence of intentionally damaging Martindales’ car on July 23 this year.

Maycock, 21, is from 7th Avenue New Orleans, The City.

In the second case in which John Andrew Holder was charged with unlawfully and maliciously wounding Andria Devonish on August 3, she too opted not to offer evidence against the accused.

Holder, 45, resides at Lot 7 Clevedale Development, St Michael.

When Magistrate Douglas Frederick inquired from a 28-year-old accused today how come he has no fixed place of abode, he was given three reasons.

It was because Justin David Clarke lost both parents as a child, had to be raised in a children’s home and was now addicted to drugs. Clarke was in the District ‘A’ Magistrates’ Court on two theft charges. He pleaded guilty.

According to the facts presented by police prosecutor, Sergeant Martin Rock, Clarke entered the Vashti Inniss Empowerment Centre between August 21 and 23 and stole several items including mackerel, sugar, rice, peas and milk worth a total of $27.88.

He also went to Callies Pharmacy between August 23 and 24 and did the same thing. He took 10 bottles of tonic, three bottles of Ferrol, 3 tins of shaving powder, two bottles of shaving cream and a bottle of lotion from Callies Pharmacy. The total value was $329. 85.

The theft at the Empowerment Centre was discovered by the nutritionist who, on returning to work, noticed that the pantry had been broken into. In the case of Callies Pharmacy, camera footage revealed that Clarke had broken the showcase and a rock had been left inside.

During questioning, Clarke admitted that he used crack-cocaine, alcohol and joy juice.

“The reason I do that is because the drugs did unfairing me,” he explained. “I want to get myself into rehab . . . I want to be off the streets.”

However, Magistrate Frederick reminded the accused that he already had a psychiatric evaluation which showed that he was aggravating his mental problem by using drugs.

“We went through this same thing last time,” Frederick told Clarke. “We know your history already. You were before me late last year.”

On that occasion, Clarke was sentenced to three months for stealing from the same Centre. This time, he was given six months.

“That will take care of two problems. It will get you off the streets and also get you some rehabilitation,” the magistrate told Clarke.

A 16-year-old lad charged with escaping from the Psychiatric Hospital, has been remanded to HMP Dodds.

The young man was not required to plead to the indictable charge which Magistrate Douglas Frederick read to him in the District ‘A’ Magistrates’ Court.

He is charged with escaping from the Psychiatric Hospital on August 13 this year, while being a prisoner in custody at the Government Industrial School from April 17.

Welfare officer Joseph Lawrence was present at court this afternoon and requested that the teenager be transferred to HMP Dodds. The reason was that he had made three attempts to escape, two of which were successful, and the institution was no longer able to secure him.

The lad was recaptured as recently as Monday, August 24 and by yesterday, he had made another attempt to escape. The lad asked to address the court and Magistrate Frederick gave him the chance to do so.

He explained that his mother was not in the best of health and had been unable to visit him. He said he asked and it was agreed that he would be taken to see her. The entire month of July went and nothing happened, he said.

If he had been allowed to see his mother, the teen added, the escape attempts would never have happened. When the magistrate asked how he felt about going over to the adult prison, the lad replied: “I would have to deal with the consequences.”

His case was adjourned until September 23.

A Surinamese woman was sentenced to 18 months in prison when she appeared before the Oistins Magistrates’ Court on a number of drug-related charges.

Donna Uredice Oehlers, a 28 year old teacher, pleaded guilty to possession, intent to supply, trafficking and importation of half a kilogram of cocaine on August 18.

The mother of one, who is a resident of the capital city of Paramaribo, was arrested and charged today for the offences which were committed while she was at the Grantley Adams International Airport.

Presenting the facts of the case, Station Sergeant Rudolph Burnett said the woman arrived on the island on August 18 on a flight from Guyana. After clearing Immigration, she was stopped by the police and questioned.

As a result, she was referred to Customs where her luggage was searched but nothing illegal found. However, she was arrested on the suspicion of having drugs and taken to the Queen Elizabeth Hospital, where an X-ray showed foreign substances in her abdomen.

While she was at the hospital, Oehlers’ handbag was also searched and a cylindrical package with cocaine in powder form on the inside, was found. She was told of the find and admitted that it was hers.

Oehlers later passed 31 packages of cocaine at the QEH. After she was discharged, she was interviewed at the Oistins Police Station where she told police she had brought the cocaine here and was to contact someone at a hotel to hand it over.

Chief Magistrate Pamela Beckles fined her $50, 000 forthwith on the count of importation, with an alternative of 18 months in jail. She was convicted, reprimanded and discharged on the other counts.

On either payment of the fine or after serving the time, Oehlers will be handed over to Immigration officials. She apologized for bringing the cocaine into Barbados.

A 33-year-old man Christ Church man appeared in the District ‘A’ Magistrates Court this morning, charged with two counts of indecently assaulting an eight-year-old girl.

Ryan Anthony Omar Bentham, of Brewster’s Road, Worthing, was not required to plead to the two indictable charges.

He is accused of committing the offence between January 1, 2011 and August 12, 2012 in the parish of St John and then doing so again between August 12, 2012 and May 9, 2013 in St Michael.

Bentham was released on $5,000 bail. His case was adjourned until November 5.

After attempting to get help for a young man with a drug problem, Magistrate Douglas Frederick told him today that he was not going to try with him anymore.

Akil Omari Tobiere, of Valley Land, St George pleaded guilty months ago to stealing $3,500 worth of jewellery belonging to Gloria Maynard in October 2012.

Last October, the court sentenced him to a year’s probation with the condition that he attend and complete the walk-in drug rehabilitation programme at the Psychiatric Hospital and submit himself to random drug testing.

However, a report on Tobiere presented in court today showed that the 22-year-old only completed one part of the programme and when he should have been continuing, he instead spent time ‘liming’ at a shop opposite. He also failed a recent drug test.

“I sent you down there to get help and you spent the time liming by a shop?” Magistrate Frederick asked Tobiere today.

Tobiere, however, pleaded for another chance. “I could prove that I could change. I would like another chance, please, sir,” he said.

“You had three chances already. You had a chance when I sent you down there (Psychiatric Hospital) in the first place, when the probation officer said that only jail could turn you around . . . Then you went down there and make noise because the people offer you mackerel, saying that you don’t eat that kind of food home and now you gone liming by a shop . . . I can’t try with you anymore.”

Tobiere offered an explanation for spending time by the shop. It was that he had a relationship with a girl who worked there.

“In that little space of time I sent you down there, you get into a relationship?” Magistrate Frederick asked.

Tobiere was then sentenced to six months in prison.

A mother who stood as surety for her son still did not know his whereabouts when his case came up in the District ‘A’
Magistrates’ Court.

Corey Andre Beckles, of Baxters, St Andrew,  was granted bail in the sum of $150,000. The last time he attended court was May 2014. Since then, his mother told the court, he had gone missing.

Beckles and a St James man were charged with possession, trafficking and intent to supply 1,178 pounds of marijuana within the exclusive economic zone in March 2011.

On the last occasion, Magistrate Frederick had asked for some type of official documentation to show that Beckles was in fact a missing person, since he was unwilling to go on the surety’s word alone.

When she reappeared before Magistrate Douglas Frederick, she informed the court that some form of notification showing that her son had been reported missing, was on its way.

Minutes later, Beckles’ wife arrived. When she took the witness stand, she too was questioned about her husband’s location.

“What has become of Corey Beckles?” asked Magistrate Frederick.

“He is missing on sea; a year and three months now,” she replied.

“He was a fisherman?”

“No.”

“So what was he doing on sea and is on bail for drugs?’

“I don’t know Sir,” the woman said.

She also said she had a statement which she made to police  at the Belleplaine Police Station, but could not find it this morning. She assured the court that she could get a copy from there and return to the court with it.

The magistrate then adjourned the case sine die (without a date) and explained to the woman that the matter is still “alive” and can be reactivated if Beckles turns up.

“It is a year and three months and I have not had a phone call, nothing,” she responded.

Magistrate Frederick then informed her of another case where a man had gone missing, his mother had presumed him dead and he had returned some time after.

“I think he has a case here today,” the magistrate added.

“I suppose anything is possible,” the woman replied.

A St Philip woman who admitted today that she uses marijuana and formerly used cocaine, will be sentenced after a pre-sentencing report is handed over to the court on October 23.

Ayla Nikita Harewood, of No. 24 Palace Gardens in the said parish, went before Magistrate Douglas Frederick in the District ‘A’ Magistrates’ Court on a drug possession charge to which she pleaded guilty.

Police were at School Road, Halls Road, St Michael on August 27, when they saw a car parked in the area. They spoke to the unemployed woman concerning a search of the vehicle and, at the end of this exercise, a paper wrapping of marijuana was found under the driver’s seat.

Harewood told police at the time that she forgot it there when she parked the car. In court today, she apologized and assured the court that it would not happen again.

She also said she “did not know it was there. I had friends in the car and I didn’t know it get way”, she added. Harewood further said: “It was found in my car so I can’t say that it is not mine.”

After complimenting her parents on their support by being present at court, the magistrate explained to the family that since Harewood  is a first offender, the court would make an effort to rehabilitate her.

Based on the pending report, it is very likely that Harewood would have to undergo some form of drug rehabilitation which would include random drug testing.

She was granted $3,000 bail.

A man accused of assaulting a station sergeant of police was granted $3,000 bail earlier today.

When Darren Manningham Burgess, a 28-year-old conductor, went before Magistrate Douglas Frederick in the District ‘A’ Magistrates’ Court, he pleaded not guilty to six offences.

Burgess, who lives at No. 603 London Bourne Towers, Bay Street, The City, denied the August 27 charges of being in possession of cannabis and a flick knife.

The other four charges were all related to offences against Station Sergeant Wendell Thomas; that Burgess unlawfully and maliciously wounded the lawman, resisted arrest, assaulted him and damaged a pair of glasses belonging to him.

The accused returns to court on November 26.

Attorney-at-law Dr Waldo Waldron-Ramsay Q.C. represented Burgess today, but he assured the court that he was only appearing
this once to address the question of bail for the accused.

The lawyer added that since he was very closely related to the complainant, he was “between the devil and the deep blue sea” and Burgess would have to find someone else going forward.

Two men were caught with marijuana but one was fined and the other given community service when they went before the District ‘A’ Magistrates Court.

Dave Adrian Ian Leon, a skid steer operator of Bibby’s Lane, St Michael, confessed to having cannabis on August 27.

The court heard that on that date, police were checking vehicles at Bibby’s Lane when they stopped a car which had three occupants.

While the police were speaking to the driver, Leon began fidgeting with the left passenger seat. A small transparent plastic bag containing 39 wax wrappings weighing 7. 6 grams of cannabis was found later in the seat.

Leon, who has a previous conviction, apologized to the court and asked for leniency. He has to pay $700 in two weeks or spend a month in jail.

Meanwhile, 16-year-old Jade Keith Chandler who went before the same court, also pleaded guilty to having cannabis on Thursday. The Gills Gap, St Michael resident was found with the substance when police were in his neighbourhood.

The court heard that Chandler saw the lawmen and ran off. After he was held, 20 grease-proof wrappings with marijuana were found in one of his pockets.   

Questioned by Magistrate Douglas Frederick, the teen said he only began smoking late last year.

He explained that he has asthma but “when I smoke I don’t get no asthma attacks”. He also said he will stop smoking because weed is illegal and it will lead to him repeatedly getting into trouble.

The first-time offender was ordered to perform 80 hours of community service and return to court on October 2.

A Christ Church man will appear in the District “A” Magistrates’ Court tomorrow to answer a murder charge.

Cedric Oneal Maynard, 38, of Kingsland Crest will face the charge in connection with the stabbing death of Christopher McDonald Callender.

Callender died at the Queen Elizabeth Hospital from a stab wound following an incident at Zanzi Bar in Nelson Street on August 22, 2015.

Maynard is also charged with two counts of causing serious bodily harm to two men during the same incident.

A teenage boy will appear in the Juvenile Court on Wednesday in connection with the illegal possession of a firearm.

The 14-year-old was charged after he shot and injured himself in the leg with a handgun while at home on August 29th, 2015.

He was treated and discharged from Queen Elizabeth Hospital.

The juvenile was remanded after appearing in court today.

Stealing four bottles of Gillette roll-on deodorant ended up costing a St Joseph man $500.

Corey Omar Nicholls of Yearwood Road, Sugar Hill, St Joseph was given a week by Magistrate Douglas Frederick to come up with the fine or he will have to spend a month in prison.

The 30-year-old had pleaded guilty in the District ‘A’ Magistrates’ Court to stealing the items valued at $51.40 from Jordan’s Supermarket on August 24.

The facts were that Nicholls went to the supermarket and purchased a few items, including milk and sugar, and then left the store. He returned afterwards to exchange the sugar for something else but was told by an employee that he could not exchange sugar.

Frustrated, Nicholls took up the deodorants, placed them in his bag and tried to leave without paying. He was seen by the security guard and held before he could leave.

The items were recovered.

Continued un-readiness by the prosecution to proceed could see yet another fraud case which has been before the courts for some time, thrown out as happened to a few in recent months.

When the five-year-old case against family physician Dr Charles Malcolm Alexander Grant came up in the District ‘A’ Magistrates’ Court last Thursday, the prosecution indicated it was still not ready to proceed.

Grant, 53, of #6 Eagles Nest, Dairy Meadows, St James is charged with 18 counts of stealing over $600,000, being the proceeds of Royal Bank of Canada which were made payable to Grant and belonging to SCMC Incorporated.

Police prosecutor Station Sergeant Irvin Kellman told the court he found himself “in the unfortunate position” of having to ask for another adjournment.

He explained that “quite a bit of investigations” had already taken place and that although some of the statements were available, the file was not at the stage at which full disclosure could be handed over.

He asked, therefore, that the investigator on the case be given another chance to complete the file since the investigation was not “a simple one”.

Attorney-at-law Shelly Seecharan who, in association with Sir Richard Cheltenham Q.C., appeared on behalf of Grant, had no objection to the request for an adjournment.

However, Magistrate Douglas Frederick felt the “matter is taking far too long” in terms of getting disclosure and forwarding files to the prosecution.

“This is a matter which is alleged to have occurred since 2010,” he pointed out.

The magistrate went on to say that whether the department responsible for the investigation “needs expertise or whatever they need, they have to get their act together”.

“I have just sounded the warning,” he told the prosecutor.