Twenty-five-year-old Dario Arlington Hollingsworth, who admitted to a burglary spree over the past three months, has been remanded to HMP Dodds for the next 28 days.
The No. 42 Golden Rock, Pinelands, St Michael resident appeared before the District ‘A’ Magistrates’ Court today and pleaded guilty to nine of ten charges, which occurred in the District ‘A’ and ‘F’ jurisdictions.
Dario Arlington Hollingsworth
Appearing before Magistrate Douglas Frederick, Hollingsworth, who was the subject of a recent wanted man police bulletin owned up to entering the home of Avril Peyton and stealing items and Barbados, Canada and US currency totaling $6,015. 71 between February 16 and 17.
Between March 2 and 22, the self-confessed burglar also trespassed in Johanna Pelaez’s home and stole three items worth $160. He also entered the home of Christiane Flynn and stole two items and US$300; the home of Nicholas Neilands, and stole jewelry and other items along with BDS$400 totaling $1,573.39 as well as the home of Stephanie Acoca where he stole several items along with US$1,000 and CDN$400 totaling $4,341.
Hollingsworth, who back in 2017 claimed that he could not walk and was wheelchair bond, stood unaided in the docks today and admited that between April 3 and 9 he trespassed in Daniel Luke’s home and stole a tablet, BDS$150 and a laptop totaling $3,850. He also entered the home of Marie Kavenagh and stole three bags, a wallet, a car key and a passport all valued at $1,740.42.
He also pleaded guilty to damaging a door belonging to Sweetfield Manor without lawful authority or reasonable excuse; entering the house of Clemen Buter as a trespasser with intent to commit theft and burglarising the business known as Bananaquit where he made away with a television and remote control belonging to Sweetfield Manor and a decoder box and remote control belonging to the Caribbean Media Corporation totaling $1,490.
However, he was not required to plea to the indictable charge of burglarising the home of Matias Osca where he allegedly stole property belonging to six people inclusive of electronic devices, jewelry, medication, a bikini and other clothing totaling $21, 970.
Hollingsworth is also facing an indictable joint charge with 39-year-old Louwayne Joel Eugene Branch, of Monroe Road, Haggatt Hall, St Michael.
Louwayne Joel Eugene Branch
The two were not required to plea to the charge that they entered the home of Stephen Harrison as trespassers and stole a number of items worth $20,886. The accused will appear in the District ‘F’ Magistrates’ Court on May 10 on that charge which allegedly took place between April 19 and 20.
Branch is separately charged with dishonestly assisting in the disposal of two laptops worth $6,000 and a $400 tablet for the benefit of another person knowing or believing that the devices had been stolen.
He pleaded not guilty to the charge which is alleged to have occurred on April 20, 2019 as well as that of putting off a bill of exchange on August 16, 2018 in the amount of $2,429 purporting to be a CIBC FirstCaribbean International Bank (Barbados) Limited cheque payable to Altimar Wholesalers Inc. and drawn on the account of First Class Car Rentals and Taxi Services knowing it to be forged.
Branch also denied the charge that he obtained from Altimar Wholesalers Inc on the same day snacks and drinks totaling $2,429. 32 via a forged CIBC FirstCaribbean International Bank (Barbados) Limited cheque payable to the company and drawn on the account First Class Car Rentals and Taxi Services knowing it to be forged.
The accused also denied a joint charge with 32-year-old Shekira Kelly-Ann Best of Monroe Road, Haggatt Hall, St Michael which allegedy occured on August 8, 2018. The two are charged with obtaining from BRC West Indies Limited 280 bars of Rebar Steel worth $3,413 via a forged FirstCaribbean International Bank (Barbados) Limited cheque.
Shekira Kelly-Ann Best
Best pleaded not guilty to the charge as well as a separate charge of allegedly uttering the forged cheque on the same day.
Station Sergeant St Clair Phillips objected to bail for Branch on the grounds that he was currently on bail and was now before the court on more allegations in two different jurisdictions.
But Branch’s attorney-at-law Kyle Walkes argued that his client was still a proper candidate for bail as he always attended his court hearings, was gainfully employed and had a fixed place of abode.
The attorney also claimed that his client had been in police custody for the past 12 days and “he indicated that he had been beaten by police . . . and has suffered injuries . . . and is passing blood. Walkes also urged the court to grant Branch bail so “his family can take care of him”.
He further stated that two of the charges, which were presented to the court, were alleged to have occured almost a year ago and his client was willing to surrender to any bail conditions that the court was willing to impose.
After mulling over the submissions Magistrate Douglas Frederick ruled in favour of the prosecution and remanded Branch.
There were no objections from the prosecutor in the cases against Best although she has a pending matter before the court. She was granted $5,000 bail which she secured with one surety.
All three accused will reappear in the District ‘A’ Magistrates’ Court on May 30 when the magistrate is excepted to make a decision on sentencing for Hollingsworth who was also remanded to Dodds.
