Three years for building breaking
By Terresa McCall
Reporter – SKNVibes.com
~~Adz:Right~~ BASSSETERRE, St. Kitts – DESPITE attempts to maintain his innocence in a court of law, Elvan Warner was convicted of “Building breaking with intent” and taken to Her Majesty’s Prison where he will reside for the next three years.
Warner’s case began yesterday during which the Prosecution team endeavoured to prove that between October 12 and 13, 2007, he broke into ‘Gems Fashion’, a shoe store located at Church Street.
A total of five prosecution witnesses were called, including Police Constable Kevin Christopher who testified that he saw Warner commit the offence and he attempted to apprehend him.
Christopher told the court that reported for duty at the Governor General’s residence at about 1:00 on the morning of Saturday, October 13, 2007, and at about 3:40 a.m. he received information following which he called for back up but did not receive any.
“I moved westwards to the corner of Church Street and saw two persons coming up the road; a man and a woman. The man was the accused. The woman is one known as ‘Method’. I saw the accused shaking the metal bar door of Gems Shoe Store, then he moved towards the window of the said shoe store. He had an object in his hand and began to pry the bottom window of the store. I called the Basseterre Police Station and spoke to Sergeant. Allen and he told me something. As a result, I moved eastward and made my way to The Cable parking lot.”
The officer said it was then that he stepped on a piece of stick, the sound from which alerted Warner of his presence.
“… he began to move down Church Street. I shouted ‘Police, police! Stand up!’ He proceeded and I shouted ‘Police, police! Elvan Warner, stand up!’ In the process I discharged a round from my service pistol hoping he would stop, but he did not. I began chasing him and shouted a few more times….discharging a second round into the air for him to stop.”
Warner, as the officer testified, escaped through ‘Masses House Alley’ and down College Street Ghaut. Christopher said he returned to his post, and shortly thereafter returned to the scene to investigate.
“When I got there I discovered that the bottom window was broken and also opened. I looked inside the store and saw shoes on the ground and the cash register on the ground. A further check of the surroundings yielded a piece of pipe in the shape of a hook and a galvanize pipe about two and a half feet long.”
At about 5:05 yesterday afternoon, the jury retired for deliberations and emerged a little more than two hours later with a verdict. They announced to the court that they found Warner to be guilty of the crime and were divided 10/2.
Warner was sentenced to three years imprisonment.
