Accused agrees that society should be protected from him

A crack cocaine abuser has agreed with the Crown that he is a danger to society and as such was not mounting a defence regarding bail.

Dwayne Elmore Cumberbatch, 33, of no fixed place of abode, now has the roof of Dobbs prison over his head for at least the next 28 days.

Cumberbatch was remanded to Dodds until May 3 in connection with four burglary charges allegedly committed in January and to which he pleaded not guilty before Chief Magistrate Ian Weekes.

The prosecutor Victoria Taitt objected to bail telling the District ‘A’ Magistrates’ Court that  having no fixed place of abode was not “normally an issue” but in Cumberbatch’s case he was well known to the justice system.

She pointed to his 29 prior convictions which she said spanned a 14-year period beginning from 2006. Taitt submitted that there was a lull in 2019 as he had been sentenced to 18 months in prison.

The objections to bail were also on the grounds that the offences allegedly committed by Cumberbatch involved several complainants.

“We believe that society needs to be protected from this accused given the vast number of offences and he just came out of jail on a similar offence.

“We believe that if granted bail the accused would re-offend and there are no ifs or buts about it,” Taitt said.

Cumberbatch replied: “I think the prosecutor is totally correct. This morning I tell myself I was not asking for bail and base on my antecedents, it’s a lot. I came from a . . . good family but find myself dabbling with drugs.

“The prosecutor is correct, society needs to be protected from me at this time. She is actually correct. When I get smoking crack cocaine . . . I does hear things in my subconscious . . . I need a little help. I would ask that you put me in some kind of programme.

“The programme at prison is not helping. I would like the experts to look at my mental capacity because I know something is wrong sir. If I keep going to prison, going to prison, it will be of no help.

“I want to be straight forward. I want to get myself on track,” the accused said.

However Chief Magistrate Weekes said he couldn’be sent to the Psychiatric Hospital now given the current health crisis and would have to be remanded to Dodds. Weekes informed the accused that he would be back before the District ‘A’ Magistrates’ Court on March 5.

“We will try to work with you from that date. I am not giving up on you so do not give up on yourself.”

Cumberbatch is accused of stealing a bottle of whiskey worth $101.59 from Cave Shepherd Company Limited on January 2. He is also accused of entering the Snack Shack as a trespasser between January 4 and 6 and stealing a power saw, an angle grinder, an impact drill, a drilling machine and a demolition hammer totalling $3 360 belonging to Mahendra Persuad.

It is further alleged that between January 9 and 11 he burglarized Styles and Motion Salon and stole 115 panties, ten boxers and jewellery and cosmetics belonging to Carolyn Harding; a cordless drill, a quantity of headbands, a torch and a lock belonging to Juhan Thelius as well as a Bluetooth speaker belonging to Garcia Henningham. The items totalled $2 655 in value.

On January 29 he is alleged to have stolen two cellular phones, a laptop, a tablet, $2,100 cash and a pair of ear pods worth $5 240 belonging to Benjamin Benskin.