Drug ‘beaten’ thief back in court

A 47-year-old offender has been jailed for 12 months after pleading guilty to theft and wounding charges.

Paul Amron Cherubin, of Whitehall No.1, St Michael appeared at the No. 1 District ‘A’ Magistrates’ Court today and admitted to unlawfully and maliciously wounding Albert White on March 29, 2019.  He also pleaded guilty to stealing four bottles of roll-on worth $61 from AP Jones and Company Limited on the same day as well as stealing five bars of soap, three creams, five pouches of gel worth $176 belonging to No. 1 Beauty Supply.

Magistrate Douglas Frederick who was looking at his conviction card after the guilty pleas were recorded noted that Cherubin had appeared over the years before a number of magistrates including those who served over two decades ago.

White, who performs security duties at AP Jones, was at work when Cherubin, who was carrying a plastic bag, was pointed out to him. He approached but Cherubin tried to walk away after a search of the bag was requested. White tried to prevent him from leaving but Cherubin pulled a knife according to the prosecutor and swiped at White but missed. He swiped again cutting White in the head before fleeing. He was later found in Nelson Street and arrested, prosecutor Sergeant St Clair Phillips revealed.

While in police custody a search was made of a haversack in his possession and the items which he said he had stolen from No. 1 Beauty Supply were discovered with the tags still attached.

“The drugs beating me sir. If I just get a chance, the drugs beating me, beating me, beating me sir. . . I trying all the time . . . I asking for help.  I smoking and I doing foolishness with myself,’ Cherubin stated.

In handing down the sentence Magistrate Douglas Frederick told the accused that he had jeopardised the life of the security guard who was only doing his job.

“You took out a knife . . . you get bold when you do this . . . you don’t surrender, you fight back and endangering people who trying to make an honest living,” the magistrate stated before he imposed a nine-month sentence on the wounding charge and three months in prison for the theft at AP Jones. They will run consecutively. Cherubin then got a six-month sentence on the theft from No. 1 Beauty Supply, which will run concurrent to the other two sentences.

“I would like to appeal this sir,” Cherubin stated to which the magistrate said: “No problem go ahead.”