“Ow mammy please don’t send me to jail, ah gone pay yah back…” cried 24-year-old Carl Cato, of East La Penitence, shortly after acting Chief Magistrate Melissa Robertson sentenced him to 18 months imprisonment for stealing a refrigerator and a gas stove from his mother’s home.
Cato had pleaded guilty with an explanation to a simple larceny charge which stated that on December 10, he stole a refrigerator valued $102, 000 and a gas stove valued $50,000, all the property of Kim Cave.
Prosecutor Stephen Telford had told the court that on the day of the incident, Cave had secured her home and had left to go to work but that when she returned later that afternoon she discovered the stove and the refrigerator missing. She immediately contacted Cato, who admitted to taking them. A report was made to the police station and Cato was later arrested and charged with the offence.
The prosecutor stated that after Cato was arrested he had taken the police to a woman’s house where the stove was recovered but searches for the refrigerator proved futile.
Cato stated that “I pawn de fridge foh 10, 000 at a man pawn shop in Sussex Street and when I went back foh get it back he tell me he don’t know me and ah dey try foh sell de stove but ah din get through so I left it at a woman”.
He explained that he was a taxi driver and that he had needed some money to recover his driver’s licence so he attempted to sell the items.
Cave, who was also present in court, stated that “ah forgive he foh stealing my things a lot ah times and ah even gave he money foh get back he licence but he using de money foh smoke”.
The magistrate then informed Cato that she could sentence him to three years imprisonment for the offence but his mother stated “ow, please give me a `lil eighteen months”.
Upon hearing this, Cato threw himself to the ground and started crying. He then turned to his mother and lamented “Ow please, I is yuh son, don’t send me to jail, ah hear wah them does do people in deh and I don’t want go deh”.
He pleaded “Gimme a second chance, ah know ah gah a problem and ah admit but staying alone at home does tempt de addiction”.
Cato was still crying while being escorted out of the court by a policeman.
