BASSETERRE, St. Kitts - TRELSTON CASEY was given a second chance to make a new start when, instead of going to prison, he was ordered to pay a fine of EC$2 500 in a six-month period.
Casey was convicted of housebreaking and larceny. He had broken into his neighbour's house on October 11, 2010 and stole a Compaq laptop worth over $3 000.
He appeared before His Lordship Justice Errol Thomas at the Basseterre High Court last Thursday (Mar. 30) for sentencing.
Casey was unrepresented and, speaking on his own behalf, begged the court for leniency and for the chance to start over.
The convicted man said that having been in this situation has opened his eyes to see things differently and that he realises the shame it has brought to him and his family.
Casey said that apart from this crime, he has never been involved in criminal activities.
He went to explain that for a while, before committing the offence, he was going through a rough patch in life moving into manhood with his older brother being the only male figure in his life.
He further explained that having had a large burden placed on him, he was very stressed and "got mixed up with the wrong company".
"I am not the person I was back then. Life is hard and everything, but I know I can get through by making a living by working hard and not succumb to the weakness of wanting what people have. This will never ever happen again," he said.
Casey said added that "things happened quickly and I was too close to see, so I just decided to take a back seat and take a serious look at my life".
He told the judge that he has mechanical skills and know how to fix cars and other vehicles, to which Justice Thomas said, "If you have these kind of skills to fix cars and things, that is the way you ought to go."
The convicted man also told the judge that he has a friend who would like them to get together and start a shop, but he would like to get together with some family members and start a cleaning business.
According to the Social Inquiry Report, Casey is described as an intelligent young man who has been through a lot in life. It stated that "it is a shame and disgrace the he can allow himself to get involved in this kind of situation".
Before passing sentence, Justice Thomas told Casey that he had demonstrated a clear vision of what he wants out of life and that it is just another case of a senseless crime.
"Once you turn on a stolen laptop and the owner has the correct software, you can be tracked," the judge said.
Casey was then ordered to pay a fine in six months or serve one year imprisonment. He is expected to be released when the prison authorities complete the appropriate documents.
