Money bag thief on jail sentence: ‘that’s a hard hit’

For stealing a man’s bag containing almost $1 500, confessed drug abuser Tramaine Michael Stuart expected to spend some time in prison.

But he expressed shock at receiving a nine-month prison sentence imposed by Chief Magistrate Ian Weekes.

“Nine months? Wow, that’s a hard hit. I wasn’t looking for that. I wasn’t looking for so much time atall,” Stuart said.

“How much time were you expecting?” Weekes asked him.

Stuart replied: “About six months.”

As Stuart was led out of the District ‘A’ Magistrates’ Court to begin his sentence he begged a lawyer who was sitting nearby to call his girlfriend and tell her he would not be coming home and would be in HMP Dodds for the next nine months.

Just moments earlier, the 24-year-old unemployed man from Campaign Land, Martindales Road, St Michael, had pleaded guilty to stealing $1 457 belonging to Kenrick Grimes on August 15.

Prosecutor Sergeant Verdon Forde revealed that the complainant worked as a BICO salesman.

The court heard that Forde was at work and placed a bag containing money in the front seat as he got out.

It was at that point that Stuart reached into the van, took the bag and ran. He was pursued but got away. But he was later spotted by police and apprehended.

None of the money was retrieved.

Stuart, who has similar offences in his criminal history, took full responsibility for the theft.

“I have nothing really to say, just that I know I deserve a punishment. What I did was wrong and whatever you choose to do I will accept it,” he told the court.

He also admitted he was a drug addict, dealing in “hard drugs” like ecstasy and cocaine.

“Drugs change my life man. From the time I start doing drugs my life just went downhill,” Stuart said.

Before sentencing him, the Chief Magistrate told him to pull his life together and advised him to visit the outpatient clinic at the Psychiatric Hospital when he is released from prison.