Lottery outlet burglar jailed for 18 months

Burglarising two lottery outlets and a doughnut shop has cost a 46-year-old man 18 months of his freedom.
Allan Decurtis Junior Crichlow, who was recorded as having no fixed place of abode on the charge sheet but told a Bridgetown court that he was from South District, St George, was sentenced to that length of time behind bars when he admitted to four crimes on Thursday.

He pleaded guilty before Chief Magistrate Ian Weekes to stealing $2 782 belonging to T&E Maycock Inc. when he entered the lotto booth owned by Tyrone Maycock between April 20 and 22 as a trespasser. He also admitted that between April 27 and 28 he entered the same booth with the intention of stealing, and also stole 90 juices worth $202.05 as well as $105 cash from a Dr Donuts stall.

He told the court he was also the one who entered Merle’s Legacy between April 25 and 26 and stole $2 000 belonging to the Barbados Lottery.

Sergeant Randolph Boyce disclosed that the owners of the establishments secured their properties and returned the following day to find them disturbed, with some of the louvres and doors damaged. Crichlow, who was seen on the CCTV footage from a nearby business, was detained by police and confessed.

“I know what I did is not right, but I would like to obtain some help. I have a serious cocaine addiction; I need the court’s help this time around,” said Crichlow who had amassed 15 similar convictions.

Acknowledging that he did not return to the District ‘A’ Magistrates’ Court and ask the chief magistrate for help with his addiction when he completed his last six-month sentence imposed in October 2022, the convicted man said he had attended Verdun House on his own but was kicked out of the programme following an altercation.

“And after that, you did not come back . . . . After walking around for over a year, you expect me to be like C.O. Williams and ‘move the earth to please’?” Weekes asked Crichlow. “You making mock sport.”

The magistrate pointed to public outpatient facilities where Crichlow could have sought help but didn’t, including the Branford Taitt Polyclinic and the Psychiatric Hospital.

He then imposed a 12-month sentence for one of the robbery charges and another six months, to run consecutively, on another. The other two were 12-month sentences, each to run concurrently with the first two, which means Crichlow will spend a total of 18 months at Dodds.

“Come back to me after you have completed your sentence and still have the problem and want help,” Chief Justice Weekes told him.