A market cleaner was sentenced to two weeks imprisonment for stealing $4,000 worth in items and cash from a woman in the Bourda market. Clive Bobb, 39, of Sideline Dam, Beterver-wagting, East Coast Demerara told the magistrate that he was guilty of taking the items belonging to Ann Adolphus but “did not really steal them.”

According to Bobb he was picking up garbage in the market when he noticed a purse on a stall among some garbage.

He said he picked up the purse and took out $260 from it and spent it on a drink and cake. After that a woman came back to the stand looking for the purse. Bobb said he gave the purse with the other items in it back to Adolphus, but was arrested anyway. Prosecutor Denise Griffith said that Adolphus left her purse on a stand and turned around to buy a drink. When she looked for the purse someone said that Bobb had taken it.

The accused was found with the purse under his arm, arrested and charged.

The magistrate asked Adolphus to pay a $5,000 fine but he said he could not afford that.

She then sentenced him to two weeks imprisonment and he responded with a very hearty thank you.