First-time offender gets one year for Kitty burglary

Maintaining his innocence up to the very end, a first-time offender was yesterday sentenced to a year in prison after being found guilty of breaking and entering a home and stealing hundreds of thousands’ worth of electrical items.

Mark Mangal was accused of breaking and entering Paul Booker’s David Street, Kitty home on September 25, 2013 and stealing $740,000 worth of electrical items.

The man’s case had been first heard before Chief Magistrate Priya Sewnarine-Beharry, who had later transferred the matter to Magistrate Fabayo Azore.

Prosecutor Renetta Bentham proved beyond a reasonable doubt that Mangal was guilty of his accused crime, calling six witnesses to substantiate the charge against Mangal. Though Mangal had attempted to lead his own defence, he was unable to cast doubt on the prosecutor’s case.

Before his sentencing, an emotional Mangal asked for leniency. “I can’t believe I’m going to prison for something I didn’t do. I’m innocent.” he said. “Your Worship, I have my wife and two children to look after. I begging for a small thing,” he added.

Taking into consideration that Mangal was a first-time offender and that he was also a family man, Magistrate Azore handed down a sentence of 12 months imprisonment.