BASSETERRE, St. Kitts – A panel of jury has found Clive Grant of La Guerite, guilty of burglary.
The 10-2 decision was returned yesterday, after the prosecution team which was led by Crown Counsel Rhonda Nisbett-Browne rested its case.
The prosecution proved that on January 21, 2011, Grant broke into the New Pond Site home of Trevor ‘Jamsta’ Woodley and stole a Sony Ericsson cellular phone worth EC$700.
The trial began on Friday, Oct. 7, and Grant who was unrepresented maintained his innocence stating that on the date in question when he was apprehended by police, he was on his way home.
Woodley testified in court and said that while at home he heard a sound and went to investigate and saw a man crouched over in his kitchen.
He said that the burglar grabbed his wife’s bag but dropped it as he fled the scene.
Woodley said that he observed the cellular phone which was charging at the time, missing and immediately made a report.
Grant was later spotted by police in the Greenlands area. When they called out to him, Grant began running and hid from the police.
He was shot in the leg and hospitalized during his apprehension. A total of five witnesses testified on behalf of the prosecution and after they rested their case against him, he decided to take the witness stand and give evidence under oath.
He told the court that when he was walking in the Greenlands area, he was not sure who was calling him and said he saw people coming and got scared and started running.
He said that he thought it could be the police but was not sure and had some marijuana on him and decided to get rid of it.
The cellular phone which belonged to Woodley was allegedly found in Grant’s possession along with a screwdriver, crowbar and knife in a backpack.
Grant said he worked in the construction field and that the phone that was allegedly found in his possession did not belong to him nor had he seen it before.
He said that if he had taken the cellular phone, just the same way as he allegedly got rid of the marijuana he would have done the same with the phone.
The clothing which was described by Woodley that the burglar wore was also different from those in which Grant was found wearing.
Grant was wearing a white shirt when police apprehended him and he also had a brown shirt in his bag while Woodley said he wore a gray shirt.
In his closing remarks to the jury, Grant said that it was a very serious case and pointed out the discrepancy in the dress code of the burglar and himself and also said he could have easily got rid of the cellular phone if it was in his possession as he did with the marijuana.
He said he knows for a fact he did not go to the home of Woodley, as he lives in the total opposite direction of the victim’s home.
Grant will be sentenced by His Lordship Justice Errol Thomas on October 27.
He also has to answer the charge of being found in possession of housebreaking implements - during the 2011 Criminal Assizes.
