Phone thief back in jail one month after release

A Corporate Area man who was released from custody a month ago, was on Thursday sentenced to two months' imprisonment after pleading guilty to simple larceny.

Christopher Cowie was immediately recognised by Senior Parish Judge Lori-Anne Cole-Montaque as he walked from the holding area into the prisoner's dock of the Kingston and St Andrew Parish Court.

"Christopher Cowie? Don't I know you?" the judge quizzed.

"Yes, Your Honour," the defendant responded, sharing that he has been released from prison last month.

Cowie, who has previous convictions, admitted to stealing the complainant's phone in New Kingston after begging him for a phone call on July 6.

The 27-year-old is alleged to have said, on caution, "Offica, me have the phone and me nah gi him back. When me guh court, me a guh tell di judge say him nah get back di phone."

But Cowie explained that he took the complainant's phone because he owed him money for the hotel where they were staying.

"So you took his phone because he owed somebody money?" the judge asked.

"Yea, the hotel man. About three grand a day fi the place and him nuh waah pay, so the man wah throw me out," Cowie told the judge, adding that he has been homeless for nine years.

Judge Cole-Montaque, although sympathetic, made it clear that she would have to serve time for the offence.

"You were just before me three months ago. You make my job hard sometimes but I am not going to send you home today. I have to make you spend time, maybe not at prison, me nah send yuh to prison, but you have to do some remand," she stressed.

"Your Honour, a better yuh send me a prison and done. Me nah go back a Half-Way Tree, me caah do it. Over deh nuh nice. Nuh police nuh supposed to come inna yuh cell come beat yuh. Me nuh understand that," Cowie lamented.

"Your Honour, anything you give me, me will work wid it. Me stressed out," he said further, noting he has a gun-related matter currently before the Supreme Court.

The senior jurist imposed a sentence of three months' imprisonment at hard labour, but one month will be deducted as he spent that time in custody, having been arrested by police on July 9.