Chastised over ‘compensation’

“This is what Barbados has become – a place where hard-working people must suffer and the people who commit the crime are to be embraced by the system,” Chief Magistrate Ian Weekes said yesterday.

“We have cases where people are systematically committing crime and they walk in here, people make sacrifices and they are to pay compensation,” he said.

The Chief Magistrate was speaking after attorney Errol Gaskin had begged the court to allow Travis Alexander Hamilton Walrond, who pleaded guilty to eight charges, to be allowed to compensate the complainant.

Walrond, of Apple Hall Terrace Drive, St Philip, had admitted he dishonestly obtained from JG Wholesale Discount articles to the value of $71.53 with intention of permanently deprive Natalie Yarde, by deception, by falsely representing that he was in lawful possession of a Visa debit card in Yarde’s name and that he had authority to use it.

He was also charged that he dishonestly obtained an item worth $20 from H& M Electronics; a phone, valued at $500, from the Phone Shop, and liquor, worth $62, from Double Bar Trading Wholesale with intent to permanently deprive Natalie Yarde, by deception, by falsely representing that he was in lawful possession of a Visa debit card in Yarde’s name and that he had authority to use it.

Walrond also admitted he engaged directly in a transaction, to wit: purchased one phone case worth $20; one cell phone worth $500; one bottle of liquor and one meal replacement shake, valued at $71.53 and one bottle of liquor, worth $62, that are the proceeds of crime. The offences all occurred on May 27, this year.

Attorney Gaskin told the court Walrond had gone before the Oistins Magistrates’ Court and had pleaded guilty to ten charges arising from the same set of circumstances.

Strong message

He said Acting Magistrate Bernadeth John had sentenced him to six months in prison.

“A strong message was sent by Magistrate John,” the attorney said.

“He is now incarcerated and my client is here, in this jurisdiction, for the continued use of the card. He has to me expressed some type of remorse and he is willing to compensate the complainant. He has been punished already. He is serving time and I am asking the court

to take into consideration he is willing to repay the complainant,” Gaskin said.

“Are you saying,” Chief Magistrate Weekes then asked, “that after someone’s hard work, that we should accept this behaviour because he was already given a pass in another court?”

“Are you saying that we should give him a concurrent sentence for this behaviour all over the place?”

“No, I’m saying he should compensate the complainant,” attorney Gaskin said.

“Your client believes he should benefit off the hard work of Bajans,” Chief Magistrate Weekes said, as he added he was not bound by the magistrate’s decision and no magistrate was bound by his decision.

“He do foolishness and he must be taught he do foolishness. He must be taught this type of behaviour will not be tolerated,” the chief magistrate declared.

However attorney Gaskin said extending Walrond’s time in prison meant taxpayers would be feeding him and he would be associating with “hardened criminals”.

“But maybe if he spends more time up there, it would marinate what wrong he did,” the Chief Magistrate noted.

“People need to understand – work hard for what you want,” he declared.

In the end, the Chief Magistrate sentenced Walrond to six months for dishonestly obtaining the articles from JG Wholesale Discount and ordered that the sentence run consecutive to the sentence imposed by the Oistins Magistrates’ Court.

The Chief Magistrate then imposed six-month sentences on the other charges but ordered that they run concurrent to each other and to the sentence from the Oistins’ court.

Prosecutor Sergeant Kenmore Phillips said the complainant reported a robbery on May 25, this year.

She checked her transactions online and realised there were a number of transactions.

Police secured footage from the businesses and Walrond was developed as a suspect. (HLE)