Repeat offender jailed for olive oil theft

Describing him as a “reputed thief”, Magistrate Alison Burke sentenced 62-year-old Bertram Russell Lynch to a month in prison when he racked up his 58th conviction on Monday.

The unemployed man of Bank Hall Cross Road, St Michael, threw himself at the mercy of the District ‘A’ Traffic Court after admitting to stealing two bottles of olive oil, valued at $37.98, from Savings Plus Supermarket on March 4.

The court heard that Lynch entered the store, took the bottles off the shelves, and left without paying. When he returned on Friday, wearing the same clothes, management and security personnel recognised him and contacted the police. A search revealed that both his pants pockets had been cut to allow stolen items to drop into his pants legs, which were tied at his ankles to prevent the goods from falling out.

Lynch admitted to the police that he stole the bottles of oil to sell to get money for drugs.

Magistrate Burke noted that only two of Lynch’s previous convictions, spanning from 1983 to 2024, did not relate to theft.

“You are crafty. You cannot continue to deprive business owners of their money. At your age, you can apply for early pension to get money to buy what you need,” she told Lynch, after he apologised, claimed he was actively seeking employment, and urged the court to consider he had confessed and did not waste the court’s time.