Interrupted by noise, bather discovers burglar

A man from Linden who broke and entered another man’s  home in Kitty and stole cash and items  valued over $160,000 was on Tuesday sentenced to four months in jail after he pleaded guilty to the offence of burglary when he appeared at the Georgetown Magistrates’ Court.

The court heard that on February 2 at Lot 236 David Street, Kitty, the accused John Brooms broke into the dwelling of Shawn Rahim at night and stole $100,000 in cash along with one gold ring valued $65,000, totaling $165,000.

Brooms, a resident of Lot 130 Wisroc Housing Scheme, Linden, pleaded guilty after the charge was read to him by Magistrate Sueanna Lovell.

In narrating the police facts to the court, Prosecutor Nivelle Jeffers said that on the day in question Rahim went out leaving his wife at home. At around 20:30hours, Jeffers added, the VC’s wife was in her bathroom when she was disturbed by a strange noise inside  her house. As a result, the woman made checks and discovered the man standing next to her chest of drawers in her home with a large sum of money.

The VC’s wife immediately raised an alarm and her husband who was returning home in company with his friend apprehended the accused. The prosecutor noted that a search was conducted on the man’s person and $100,000 in cash was discovered along with the gold ring stated in the charge.

When given a chance to speak the man said, “Your worship I did pick up de things dem… meh give back de lady but de police dem lodge it a de seawall side (CID Headquarters). The accused added that he was an employee at Omai and after he resigned from his job he sold the VC gas bottles, but according to Brooms, the VC never paid him.

On the day of the incident, the accused explained, he went to the VC’s home to collect his money for the gas bottles he claimed he had sold to the VC and while there he picked up the items stated in the charge. “When I turned around I see the woman,” the man confessed.

After listening to the accused the magistrate informed him that he will be sentenced to four months in prison for the unlawful act.