Man caught stealing AC unit on Mona campus

A man who was caught taking an AC unit from the University of West Indies campus pleaded guilty to simple larceny with explanation when he appeared in the Kingston and St Andrew Parish court yesterday.
Samuel Dayle 32 told the court that on the 15 of April he was walking across the campus to visit a friend when he saw the appliance in the garbage.
“Your honour me see the AC  in the rubbish heap and me one couldn’t carry it alone, so me call one a me friend to help me with it. While we were taking it, a lecture saw us and ask where we going with it. Him seh him a carry we go the security post. When we go there, the security talk pan him phone and the police come fi me. Me see it in the rubbish, me never steal nothing,” he said.
The liaison officer told the court that the unit was at a construction site on the campus and not necessarily in the rubbish. Judge Vaughn Smith asked whether or not the unit was ripped from a wall to which the officer said ‘no it was not’
Judge Smith told Dayle that he cannot take things that are not his even if he saw it in the garbage.
“You cannot go around taking things that does not belong to you. Even if you see something that you like, you should enquire who it belongs to and ask if you can take it,” he said.
Dayle was fined $30,000 or 30 days in prison for simple larceny, $4000 or 10 days on the count of carrying an offensive weapon and $10,000 or 10 days for being in a restricted area.
Judge Smith further informed him that if the fines are not paid, he is to serve his sentence consecutively.