In desperate need of help for his cocaine addiction a 31-year-old man today confessed that he would continue to steal if he does not receive professional intervention.
“Once I smoking cocaine I does steal. I asked for help before and the one in prison is not the kind of drug programme I need. I don’t like taking up people things Mr Fredericks but I telling you the truth, once I smoke cocaine, I will steal!” Dwayne Elmore Cumberbatch declared in the District ‘A’ Magistrates’ Court this morning.
The unemployed man, of no fixed place of abode, made the comments after pleading guilty to stealing four pairs of optical frames belonging to Unicomer Barbados Limited on April 3, 2019.
When Cumberbatch began telling the story of his struggles in a loud voice, he not only had the attention of the magistrate but everyone present in the court.
“I going through some serious problems right now, I smoking a lot of cocaine. I am sleeping on the streets and all my belongings including my bed sheet are in a [haversack] in the police station.
“I have no backative. I have nothing going for me. This drugs is a serious thing and don’t care how I try to stop . . . two days or so I back on it. I need serious help,” said Cumberbatch who admitted that he spent all of 2018 in prison and was only released two weeks ago.
The known offender made it clear that he was not making the pronouncements because he did not want to go to prison.
“I need professional help, not just a person asking me how I feel today. I don’t scared of prison but I need more than the help they give,”Cumberbatch explained.
At one point he choked on his words when he said he had no family support to help him through his addiction. However, he admitted that he had been speaking to other persons on the streets about how to go about getting the help he needed.
“I only have a father here but he ashamed of me but I ain’t vex with he . . . . My mother went to England with my little sister. I sleeping in the park by the Treasury and I speaking to a guy who said I can get assigned to the Psychiatric Hospital and can go to Verdun [House]. I went to the Psychiatric Hospital for evaluation before but never get the help . . .
but I have confidence in me that I can make a change and I hope to make that change,” Cumberbatch told Magistrate Frederick.
However, in his plea for help Cumberbatch did not forget that he had broken into the establishment and stolen the items last Wednesday. Prosecutor Sergeant St Clair Phillips said he was caught on camera and later apprehended.
“I want to know if I can do something to give the people back their money,” he stated but Frederick told him that he needed to focus his attention on getting better.
Cumberbatch was then informed that he would be remanded to the Black Rock, St Michael mental health facility for evaluation and a report for a chance at drug rehabilitation.
“Mr Fredericks make sure that these people get me the help all the way. All the way Mr Fredericks,” Cumberbatch stated.
The magistrate also issued a warning of his own. He told Cumberbatch that drug rehabilitation programmes cost the taxpayers money and if it was discovered that he was trying to “trick” the system then he would “go all the way to prison”.
The accused returns to court on April 26, 2019.
