by Linda Straker
- Kester Young of St Patrick was caught stealing nutmegs in someone’s land
- Placed on EC$7,500 bail and will return to Sauteurs Magistrate Court on 25 February 2020
- Officer presently on suspension with half month salary
Police have confirmed that one of its own is facing praedial larceny charges after he was caught stealing nutmegs in someone’s land.
Kester Young of St Patrick was placed on EC$7,500 bail and will return to Sauteurs Magistrate Court on 25 February 2020.
The officer, as is required, is presently on suspension until the outcome of the matter. During the suspension, he will receive half month salary, and if convicted for the offence he will be dismissed from the force. Details of how he was caught have not been made public but it is understood that he was “caught red-handed.”
Young is charged under the 2003 Praedial Larceny Act which states that any person who commits an offence against this act shall be liable, except where some other penalty has been provided by this act, to a fine of not less than $3,000 or more than $10,000 and imprisonment for 24 months.
For entering the land without permission the law states, “whoever enters, or is seen or is found on or within any estate, farm, garden, orchard, pleasure ground, nursery ground, hot house, greenhouse or conservatory, without the consent of the owner, occupier, or person in charge thereof and does not give a good account of himself or herself, or does not satisfy the Magistrate that he or she had a right to be thereon or therein, shall be guilty of an offence and shall on summary conviction be liable to a term of imprisonment of not less than two years and not exceeding two years.”
The law also mandates that whoever is found on or within any estate, farm, garden, orchard, pleasure ground, nursery ground, hothouse, or conservatory, and commits any act of violence upon the owner, occupier, or person in charge thereof, or any other person lawfully thereon or attempts to commit such act, shall be guilty of an offence against this Act and shall on summary, conviction be liable to a term of imprisonment not exceeding 5 years.
