Fined $25,000 
Acting Chief Magistrate Melissa Robertson-Ogle yesterday ordered a 26-year-old man to pay a $25,000 fine or serve an 18-month sentence after he admitted to stealing two packets of cheese spread.

Kevin Eastman of Lot 36 Barrack Street, Kingston pleaded guilty to the charge of simple larceny when he appeared at the Georgetown Magistrate’s Court. According to the facts of the case on July 26 at Hinck Street, Georgetown, Eastman stole two packets of cheese spread valued $3,000 from Quality Plus Seafood where he had been employed.

Eastman told the court that on the said date, between 11pm and 12pm, the security guard came to the back of the baker shop saying that he had a piece of bread and would be happy for some cheese spread to eat with it. Eastman said he had been preparing to leave with two loaves of bread for which his manager had already made out a bill and the man advised him to take out a parcel of cheese spread for both of them.

Eastman said when he was ready to leave he went to the gate where the same security officer searched his bag. However, the two owners were standing nearby and they observed that the search was not thorough and one of them put their hand into his bag and found the item. Eastman told the court that it was the first time that the security guard had asked him to “carry out anything.”

Meanwhile, the security guard told the court that he never asked the man to take the item. He said he had been searching Eastman’s bag but before he found the item one of the owners put their hands the man’s bag and found it.
Asafa and Halvard George the owners of the establishment told the court that they believed the defendant’s story was closer to the truth. Asafa George said that he and his brother were standing about 10feet away from where the security was conducting the search and they observed that the security officer wasn’t being thorough. The man pointed out that the security guard had two chances in which he could have found the cheese spread.