Convict tells youth ‘crime does not pay’

This country’s youth who are engaging in illegal activities are being told that “crime does not pay”.

The advice is coming from convict Jason McDonald Phillips, a man who knows about the “shame and disgrace” as well as the feelings of “defeat and disillusion” attached to being incarcerated.

“I have come to realise that at some point you have to say enough is enough and I am at that point in life right now. I am at an age where many young persons have yet to reach and others will never reach because they have passed away at an early age,” the 38-year-old fraudster from Suriname Road, Horse Hill, St Joseph said. He already has some two dozen convictions on his record including some for theft, burglary and assault.

“I am addressing the court with these factors in mind hoping that the youth of this country can see. [I am] addressing the young men in this country hoping that this can in some way influence them to abstain from negative antisocial conduct…me being a living example of how time could be wasted accomplishing nothing; accumulating years behind bars which create a feeling of defeat and disillusionment coupled with the shame and disgrace experienced by my loved ones, being hurt socially and emotionally in the process.

“I hope to convey to the young people that crime don’t pay as the repercussions of criminal conduct are extremely burdensome. I am sorry that it took me so long to come to this realisation but it is better to be late than never,” Phillips added.

The convict who is currently on remand had previously admitted before Madam Justice Pamela Beckles in the No. 5 Supreme Court to uttering a forged cheque on June 8, 2017 with intent to defraud Republic Bank Barbados Limited of $2,000 and obtaining the said amount for the bank. He also pleaded guilty to money laundering between June 8 and November 14, 2017 when he disposed of the amount being the proceeds of crime.

Principal Crown Counsel Krystal Delaney said the owner of Hunte’s Nurseries Ltd located in St Joseph realised that he had misplaced one of his cheque books in June 2017. After searching for it with no luck he went to the bank’s Broad Street branch and made a check of his financial history only to discover a transaction which he said he knew nothing about. The matter was reported to police and the necessary investigations were conducted leading to Phillips’ arrest.

“This experience has impacted on my mind . . . and there is always time for a change and I am at that point in my life. It is time to be there for my children, [to be] someone who they can look up to rather than one who would cause them to hang their heads in shame. I want to be recognised as having being instrumental in their success. I have been in and out in prison from time to time and since the commencement of this incident I have said to myself that enough is enough,” he said as he read from his prepared speech.

Phillips, who has spent about two years on remand, was addressing Justice Beckles via Zoom from his location at Dodds today as the sentencing phase of his case continued.

He apologised to the victims of his crime, his family and the court and urged the judge not to impose a non-custodial sentence on him this time around.

“I know my past is not one with honour but that is nothing that I can change. But what I can change is my future. Enough is enough, my outlook towards life has changed.

“I would like to apologise to Mr Anthony Hunte for my actions and for depriving him of his belongings; I would also like to apologise to the management of Republic Bank for entering their place . . . to conduct illegal activity [and] I want to apologise to my family and my children for putting them through this stressful situation for the past 30 months,” he added.

However, Delaney told the court there was a need for a custodial sentence to be imposed in Phillips’ case but that his guilty plea and time spent on remand must be taken into consideration. The prosecutor also submitted that counseling should be part of any sentence in a bid to address his gambling addiction, which was referenced in his probation report.

Phillips will be sentenced on July 16.