BASSETERRE, St. Kitts – JASON LIDDIE cried bitterly yesterday (July 28) at the Basseterre Court while begging His Lordship Justice Errol Thomas to give him a second chance and to not send him to prison.
However, after being found guilty of receiving a number of items stolen from a home in Trinity on July 25, Justice Thomas sentenced him to three years in prison.
According to the evidence presented in court, the items for which Liddie was jailed are one Toshiba Satellite, one British passport, toothbrush and toothpaste, a magic jack and several pen drives, one head phone, three gold chains, backpack, fish oil capsules, one Samsung phone and EC$7.65; all to the value of EC$7,222.65.
The items belonged to Anthony Comry of Palemtto Point, Trinity and were said to have been stolen on September 19, 2010.
Originally, Liddie was charged with burglary and larceny but was found not guilty for the former. However, the latter was not read in court after he was found guilty of receiving by a 12-member jury.
The prosecution team was led by Crown Counsel Rhonda Nisbett-Browne with the assistance of Crown Counsel O’Neal Simpson.
The prosecution team had called on four witnesses - police officers Denroy Pope and Mitchell Bergan, owner of the home Anthony Comry and his then girlfriend – whose evidence had led to Liddie’s conviction.
The court was told that the backpack, which was stolen from Comry’s residence and later found in Liddie’s possession, had contained all of the other stolen items.
Shortly before he was sentenced, tears rolled down Liddie’s cheeks as he begged the trial judge for leniency.
“I’m asking for leniency your Lord. If I am ever back before you, you have all right to do whatever you want with me. I want to make a change in my life. I want to be there for my son…please don’t take me away from my son,” he pleaded.
Liddie said that his son is six months old.
“I don’t want my son to end up like me. It’s my first child and I don’t want to be taken away from my son…please, your Lordship, please,” Liddie begged.
The maximum sentence for receiving is10 years The judge said before the court and said that the crime occurred between 10: 30 p.m. and 3: 00 a.m.
Probation Officer Elvis Thomas noted that Liddie may still be traumatised by his father’s actions; for he was never there for his son and he never wanted him, and that the convicted man needs counselling in order to deal with that issue.
Judge Thomas told him that his tears could not move the court and he should have stuck to washing vehicles and cutting grass, because crime does not pay.
“You testified for over two hours, taking the court all over the place with your story. There is nothing wrong with washing vehicles and cutting grass…it’s an honest day living. You can do that until you have saved up enough to move on to something else.
“What always baffles the court is when you people go out and commit crime, don’t you think of your family? There you are at 3:00 a.m. on someone’s premises, didn’t you think of your mom and son?
“Hope when you’re released from prison you would make a clear path for yourself. Crime does not pay…the Law will always get you,” His Lordship told Liddie.
