Car thief admits guilt

A Christ Church man who stole a $19, 500 Toyota Corolla three years ago and sold it for $1,500 will make his next appearance in the No. 5 Supreme Court on September 3.

Ryan Oneal Wickham, of Wellington Drive, Enterprise Coast Road pleaded guilty to stealing the 2004 NZE model vehicle belonging to Tamara Mayers on June 15, 2017.

Principal Crown Counsel Krystal Delaney told Madam Justice Pamela Beckles that Mayers left the island on vacation leaving her car with a trusted friend who parked the vehicle outside his St Philip home. When he went out about 2:45a.m. to the newspaper man the vehicle was still in the location that he left it. However, when he returned around 5:40a.m. the car was nowhere in sight.

The matter was reported to police and Wickham was subsequently detained.

Under questioning he told police, “yes I take up the NZE car”. He said he passed the car some nights before and decided to return for it.

Wickham told police he broke into the vehicle and “made a search for money and valuables but ain’t find none”. He then drove the car to Husbands, St James, switched licence plates and sold it to a ‘wrecker man’ for $1,500 and bought drugs, food and alcohol with the money.

However, Delaney told the court that the man denied buying the vehicle from Wickham.

The following month, July 2017, the stolen vehicle was found at Bucks, St Thomas burnt to a crisp.

“With respect to the case I believe that the same person who had the car is who burn it,” Wickham told Justice Beckles today.

When he returns on September 3 he is expected to be arraigned on additional charges. Wickham will then make his next appearance in the High Court on November 5 when an officer from the Probation Department will read a presentencing report on his life.