A carpenter who had snatched a schoolgirl’s cell phone to make “an important call” was ordered to pay a fine of $60,000 or serve eighteen months imprisonment when he appeared before Magistrate Melissa Robertson at the Georgetown Magistrate’s Court on Tuesday.

Thirty-one-year-old Michael Wilson of Pouderoyen, West Bank Demerara pleaded guilty to the charge of larceny from the person.

It was alleged that on November 4, Wilson snatched Johave Jacobs’ cell phone valued $45,000 while she was answering a call.

“They sort ah misunderstood why I ran, it was not that I robbed her but I had just wanted to use de phone to make an important call to de States,” explained Wilson. He stated that he wanted some money from an overseas relative and he  grabbed the phone to make a call and added “I know she (Jacobs) from somewhere and I thought she woulda understand.”
He said he later disposed of the phone after he did not get in contact with the relative. The phone was later recovered.

The magistrate subsequently ordered that Wilson pay the court fine or spend eighteen months in prison.