Church thief sentenced

Stealing from one of this island’s divine places of worship has resulted in a 10-year jail sentence for a convicted thief from Haynes Hill, St John.

Madam Justice Pamela Beckles handed down the sentence on Andrew Tyrone Trotman in the No. 5 Supreme Court recently for entering the James Street Methodist Church on July 12, 2015 and stealing several tools, including a power saw, drill, angle grinder, router, hammer and a tin of paint valued at $1 895.

But having taken into consideration the delay in getting Trotman’s matter before the court, Justice Pamela Beckles deducted 350 days from the 3,650-day sentence. She also credited him for the 1,697 days or four years, 237 days that he had spent on remand and gave him his one-third discount for his guilty plea.

On the day of sentencing, Trotman had 736 days or two years and six days remaining of the sentence to serve at Her Majesty’s Prison Dodds.

In her ruling Justice Beckles told Trotman the offence was a serious one, which occurred at a church for financial gain. But she says mitigating factors were that none of the church’s artifacts was taken, nothing was damaged, and the items were recovered.

The High Court judge however sentenced Trotman to time served for escaping lawful custody from the District ‘A’ Police Station without the use of force, on July 13, 2015 having been arrested on the theft charge.

She explained that there was no extensive planning involved in his escape as he walked out of an unlock door which was “purely opportunistic” and did not suggest any “sophisticated” planning. The judge added that there was no violence involved and he was apprehended almost immediately.