BASSETERRE, St. Kitts – A young man, charged and found guilty for being in possession of an offensive weapon, pleaded with a city magistrate to give him “a discount” in his sentence.
Rupert Bridgewater of Neverson Street West, Newtown appeared before Her Worship Josephine Mallalieu-Webbe at the Basseterre Magistrate’s Court on Tuesday (June 13) and pleaded guilty to being armed with an offensive weapon.
However, before making her ruling on the case, Bridgewater said to the magistrate, “Your Worship, I have about 25 convictions, and when people go to shops and stores they are seen as regular customers and they get discounts. I am a regular here, so can you please give me a discount.”
In response to his request, Her Worship ordered that he be of good behaviour for three months or serve six months hard labour at Her Majesty’s Prison should he violate any of the Federation’s laws during that period.
According to the facts presented in court, at approximately 3:30 p.m. on Tuesday, May 23, 2011, while a number of police officers were participating in a training exercise in the Independence Square, a young man approached them shouting, “Police, Skillful just run after me with a knife and saying he must stab somebody.”
Shortly after, Bridgewater appeared in the Independence Square with a knife in his hand and was reportedly heard saying, “A gon kill somebody…a gon kill somebody.”
The court was told that one of the officers approached Bridgewater and ordered him to put down the knife, but he refused and was advancing towards the lawman in a threatening manner.
Consequently, the officer drew his service pistol and Bridgewater stood motionless.
He was arrested, taken to the Basseterre Police Station and charged on the following morning.
SKNVibes was told that this is the second time a defendant had begged for a sentence discount at the same magistrate’s court and the request was granted.
