Mother jailed for home invasion

The loud cries and pleas of a young mother, who admitted to the home invasion of an elderly woman, fell on deaf ears today as she was sentenced to 24 months in prison.

The tears began from the moment Chief Magistrate Ian Weekes began reading the three charges against Stancha Clerona Augustine, of No. 78 Crystal Heights, St James.

The 31-year-old pleaded not guilty to stealing a $300 cellular phone belonging to Anderson Jordan on November 25 and a Bluetooth speaker worth $135, on December 1, belonging to Paul Rollins.

However, she pleaded guilty to entering the home of Loretta Lashley as a trespasser on December 21 and stealing $1,000 cash.

Augustine lived opposite the residence of the 82-year-old woman and was in the habit of going across and asking her for money. On December 21, Lashley secured her place at about 8 p.m. but woke up around 11:30 p.m. after hearing a noise. She got up and went to see what was happening and came upon two men wearing masks, as well as Augustine.

The men walked up to her and one took her hand and led her to the home office. They searched but found no money. Augustine then told them that the complainant usually kept cash in a black handbag but that too turned up empty. Fearing for her life, Lashley told the home invaders where the money was kept and handed over the keys to the safe. The culprits got away with the cash.

Sergeant Vernon Waithe, who disclosed the facts, also told the court that Augustine was known to the court and there were two outstanding warrants for her arrest.

“Please help me. I have a problem. I does take cocaine. I does smoke cocaine,” Augustine sobbed in the District ‘A’ Magistrates’ Court.

“I take it for the past two years and I have a baby that is a year old. My mother is a very bad diabetic and the child father got shoot. I know I have done bad things. I did them under the influence of cocaine. I am very sorry.”

Chief Magistrate Weekes asked Augustine whether she had spoken to Lashley, who operates a Christian learning centre, about her drug addiction, which she answered in the affirmative. However, Weekes pointed out what Lashley would have been feeling at the time of the home evasion, especially given her age.

“The men does smoke cocaine too. I told them not to do it. That is why I was not masked out. I don’t want to go and leave my baby. Can I get a fine or something?” Augustine asked.

The Chief Magistrate denied that request.

“You want to pay a fine for a home invasion for an 82-year-old woman? Christmas is a time of goodwill and how do you repay that trust that she placed in you? You set up two men to go into her house.”

He added: “Twenty-four months in prison . . . with drug rehabilitation. This is so serious. This is a major thing you went and do with those men. She could have gotten an instant heart attack.”

Augustine interjected, crying, “Please, Sir, no Sir, I got my baby.”

The plea was not enough. The convicted woman will return before the court on May 31, 2021 on the other two charges, as well as the ones for which warrants had been issued for her arrest.