Man insists he bought stolen items

A Corporate Area man who said he bought a television set, a laptop, a Samsung cellphone and a Samsung DVD player for $30,000 will know his fate on May 16.

The items, all of which were stolen, are said to worth $290,000.

Richard Morgan, the man in whose possession the items were found, pleaded guilty to housebreaking and larceny when he appeared in the Kingston and St Andrew Court yesterday.

It was reported that on March 9, the complainant left her home to conduct business but when she returned to the premises she noticed that a section of her home was ransacked. She then informed the police that she was missing the items.

Morgan contends that he did not steal the items.

"I buy them from somebody, but I didn't know they were stolen," Morgan told Senior Parish Judge Lori-Ann Cole-Montague.

"They [the police] are saying that you broke into the house you know. How much did you buy these items for?" the judge asked.

He replied that he bought the items for $30,000.

"The items that worth $200 and something thousand, you bought them for $30,000?" Cole-Montague asked, her eyebrows raised.

"Dats why I give her back dem," Morgan replied.

The judge then made Morgan the subject of a fingerprint order and requested that his criminal records be made available for the next court date.

- T.T.