BASSETERRE, St. Kitts – A young man, who was granted a discount in his sentence after pleading with a city magistrate on June 13, 2011, has to serve two six-month terms at Her Majesty’s Prison (HMP) for larceny and violating a court order.
Rupert ‘Skillful’ Bridgewater of Neverson Street West, Newtown appeared before Her Worship Josephine Mallalieu-Webbe at the Basseterre Magistrate’s Court on Wednesday (July 13) and was convicted and sentenced to six months jail for violating a court order she imposed on him for being armed with an offensive weapon.
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.
Bridgewater appeared before Chief Magistrate Mallalieu-Webbe on June 13 and pleaded guilty to the charge.
However, before making her ruling on the case, Bridgewater told 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 HMP should he violate any of the Federation’s laws during that period.
Bridgewater however did not adhere to the magistrate’s order and was caught stealing a quantity of hats from a store at the Pelican mall on June 27.
He again begged for mercy but the magistrate reminded him of her previous decision and sentenced him to serve six months on each charge.
