No more prison, pleads man accused of theft

He was released from prison in July, got employed in August and admitted stealing in September.

Today, he was before the court charged with three offences. Twenty-three-year-old Henry Depeiza Lewis pleaded with the court not to send him back to prison but instead send him to the Psychiatric Hospital.

“I don’t want to see jail no more,” said Lewis, who resides in Ashton Hall, St Peter.

He was released from prison in July after serving a four-year ‘time-served’ sentence for a breaking and entering offence. Lewis has eight previous convictions.

However, he was sentenced to three months in prison by Magistrate Allison Burke today.

The court heard that Lewis attempted to snatch Sharon Mckeever’s chain as she walked toward the Bridgetown Port. Lewis rode up on a bicycle and failed at his attempt to snatch the chain.

However, he tore the complainant’s $100 blouse in the process before riding off down Princess Alice Highway. CCTV footage in the area captured the accused wearing an olive green polo shirt, a 3/4 black shorts, a red underpants, red and white Jordans, a multi-coloured mask and a white head dress.

It was another set of footage that showed Lewis wearing the same clothes and snatching the chain of another complainant.

This time Angela Best-Williams was walking along Mortuary Road in Bridgetown from the Cheapside Public Market when he rode up on a bicycle and snatched her chain and pendant worth $500.

Both incidents occurred on September 12, 2020.

Another charge claims that without lawful authority or excuse, Lewis had two forged $100 bills purporting to be genuine $100 bills issued by the Central Bank of Barbados knowing the same to be forged. This offence occurred on September 15.