BASSETERRE, St. Kitts - THE former postman who was convicted of detaining post letters was yesterday (Dec. 11) given a non-custodial sentence at the Basseterre High Court, where he appeared before His Lordship Justice Errol Thomas for sentencing.
Denzil Huggins was unanimously found guilty on November 5, 2012 for neglecting or refusing to deliver post mails which formed part of his duties as a postman.
The offence was committed during the period April 1, 2006 and May 31, 2007.
Attorney-at-Law Chesley Hamilton, who represented Huggins, told the Court, while making his mitigating plea, that the matter was one of importance because of the trust that is put in mail carriers.
He said his client was however suffering, having to face the loss of his pension, gratuity and other benefits after working in that capacity for 17 years.
The Attorney then asked the Court for leniency on his client.
"Balance the mitigating circumstances with the aggravating circumstances...at the end of the day temper the sentence with mercy," Hamilton asked of the Court.
Huggins' Social Inquiry Report stated that persons described him as industrious and unlikely to commit a crime such as the one he was convicted of.
It did however state that the persons whose mails he failed to deliver suffered, as they could have been depending on those mails for key information and/or funding to assist with their survival.
Justice Thomas, nevertheless, told Huggins that he did not appear to be a dishonest person and he was given a non-custodial sentence.
He was ordered to pay a fine of $5 000 within one year. Failure to pay would result in incarceration for 18 months with the time spent on remand deducted.
According to the facts of the case, during the period in question, Huggins failed to deliver 794 post letters which were found unopened in his home when searched by police officers under a search warrant.
