Burglar who admitted to ‘some’ charges, jailed

The Magistrates’ Court has sentenced a St Michael man to 27 months in jail for a series of burglaries.

Zeco Francis Holder, 27, of Block 2B Madison Terrace, Deacon’s Farm was convicted today after admitting that he
made a “mistake” and committed the offences while under the influence of illegal drugs.

However, his legal problems do not end there as he is also facing three indictable charges of aggravated burglary to which he was not required to plead.

“I didn’t commit all but I made a mistake and I was under the influence of cocaine. I want to change my life because I need help
. . .  help from my heart.

“I only 27 years old and I have more life in front of me. I not a bad fella. I not de worse. I raise without a mother and my father . . .  he put me put on the street,” Holder said as he addressed Magistrate Alison Burke in the District ‘A’ Magistrates’ Court following his guilty pleas.

He admitted that he took a Toyota motor car belonging to Mikhail Holder on August 28 for his own use without the owner’s consent.

The complainant, who is the convicted man’s cousin, gave him the task of washing the vehicle and went into his house. However, he later realised that Zeco had driven away his car, so he reported the matter to the police. The car was recovered.

For that crime he was sentenced to nine months in prison to run consecutively with a six-month sentence for robbing Sonia Sealy, on November 24, of a gold bangle worth $1,000 and two gold bracelets worth $3,350.

Sealy was at a funeral having a conversation in the churchyard located along Westbury Road, St Michael. She suddenly felt the pressure of a hand on her right shoulder. She turned around and the man snatched her jewelry and made good his escape.

Sometime between September 5 and 6 Holder entered 4.1.6 Bar as a trespasser and stole 36 bottles of assorted alcoholic beverages, 15 bars of soap, two body sprays and a cologne belonging to Kay Belle. Total cost $4,023.

Belle had returned to the business which had been secured and realised that it had been burglarised and called the police.

Later in September, on two separate occasions between September 14 and 25, Holder loitered on the premises of MT Sweet Corner with cause to suspect that he was about to steal. He then entered as a trespasser and stole 26 bottles of alcohol and a case of coke worth $1,198 belonging to Latoya Scott.

The business was again closed and Scott made a check of the CCTV. She discovered that two of the camera’s had been tampered with. Three men were also observed on the property, one of them identified as Holder.

He was given six months in jail and two three -month sentences all to run consecutively.

“It is now up to you to change your life. You can’t be out there depriving people . . . commercial businesses of their property. Clean up during your time in prison,” Magistrate Burke told Holder who already had five prior convictions for similar offences.

Holder was however, unable to plead to the indictable charges, that he on October 15 entered the house of Cameron Ifill as a trespasser and stole two chains worth $9,000. He allegedly had a firearm at the time.

He is also accused that on April 11 together with other persons he entered the house of Christopher Sealy as a trespasser and stole a ring and a watch worth $1,850 and at the time had a hammer and a cutlass.

It is further alleged that he on October 27 entered as a trespasser the house of Tiffany Elcock and stole $620 in items inclusive of $500 cash and at the time allegedly had a firearm.

Holder again told the court “I ain’t do all”.

Prosecutor, Sergeant Edwin Pinder who read the facts of the case, objected to bail on the indictable matters.

The convicted man will make his next court appearance on January 5, 2021 on those charges.