Two sentenced, two remanded

Four men, one of them a harden criminal, are now at Dodds in connection with a string of burglaries and thefts.

Two of the men, 45-year-old Ricardo Anderson Harding and 24-year-old Sergio Delacy Browne-Agard, both of no fixed place of abode, pleaded guilty to all their offences and were sentenced to a cumulative five years each in prison. They have been ordered to participate in the drug counseling and rehabilitation programmes at the St Philip institution.

The other accused, 18-year-old Martin Omar Greene, of Ridgeway, Pine, St Michael also pleaded guilty but being a first-time offender he was remanded and is awaiting his fate at prison pending pre-sentencing and psychological reports.

Accused Adrian McDonald Jackman, 24, of No. 13 Stratford Hill, Pine, St Michael was the only one of the four to plead not guilty to the charge leveled against him.

Jackman and Greene will reappear in the District ‘A’ Magistrates’ Court on July 6.

Harding, who has 21 prior convictions of a similar nature, pleaded guilty to stealing two mailboxes, between May 28 and 29, one worth $70 belonging to Shenise King and the other $80 belonging to Joyce Bourne.

Between March 24 and 31 he pilfered farmlands in the Pine basin belonging to Faye Bennett and Everton Bennett, stealing several pounds of marjoram, thyme, chives and cassava worth over $270.

Last year – between May 28 and June 29 – he burglarized several establishments including educational facilities.

He was charged with entering the home of Colin MCCarthy as a trespasser and stealing four doors, a bucket of paint and 12 pouches of silicone worth $780.

He was also charged with stealing from Lockerbie College a television, a fan and $150 cash totaling $645; from Bay Primary School a total of $13 on two separate occasions. He also took responsibility for stealing a television worth $2,200 belonging to St Gabriel’s Management Inc as well as a $150 DVD player belonging to Patricia St Hill.

Harding also burglarized the Boys Scouts Association and took a $500 safe, a $400 cooler and $100 cash as well as the St Cyprians Preparatory Boys’ School where he stole snacks and drinks worth $703.In February 2019 he also went into Bay Primary and stole six towels, two brooms, a dustpan and a basin worth $75.

Harding did not stop there. He and Browne-Agard, admitted to entering Estwick’s Variety and stealing items totaling $954 belonging to Brenda Estwick. The items included foil paper, a stove, a gas head and hose. They also stole tools and other items worth $1,649 from the Maria Holder Holder Foundation Nursery and belonging to Genesis Construction Limited.

The 45-year-old and Greene also admitted to stealing a weed whacker worth $2,000 belonging to the Crown on February 20 as well as entering Shirley’s Variety between April 10 and 21 and stealing 55 pairs of pants worth $1,350 belonging to Shirley Lynch.

The “prolific thief” also admitted to joining forces with Jackman between May 29 and June 1 and entering the house of Kevin Rollins where he stole a rug, a mat, a vase, an extension cord, two pillows, and $500 cash totaling $1,220. Jackman denied the charge.

Harding, Greene, Browne-Agard pleaded guilty while Jackman pleaded not guilty to entering the Hungry Lion Barbeque and Grill between May 28 and 29 and stealing a cash register, a tablet, seven cases of soft drinks and $12 cash totaling $1,042 belonging to Elvis Bridgeman worth.

Addressing Magistrate Graveney Bannister, the convicted Harding said: “I apologise for all I have done. I have a very very bad drug problem for a long time. I would like some help sir please. I am addicted to cocaine, I have been doing it for the past eight or so years, I would like some help.

“Marijuana too sir from the time I was 16 but it is not the marijuana that do that sir, it is the cocaine,” Harding said as he revealed that he had attended the rehabilitation programmes “once or twice” while he was serving prison time.

Magistrate Bannister told him: “You need to go to all the sessions and you must have the will to get over this or you will be in and out of prison.

“You have been stealing since 1997, you are quite prolific. The only thing you didn’t steal was a Bible.”

Both Browne-Agard and Greene admitted they met Harding in the Pine community and they used cocaine together.

Greene admitted that he grew up away from his family “in the homes” and came up “hard”. But Harding was quick to point out that he did not influence the teenager.

Browne-Agard asked for help with his addiction saying: “I don’t really want to blame it on the cocaine, I blame it on myself but this is one of the reasons why I am not living at home.”