A farmer was yesterday sentenced to 18 months in jail by a city court after he pleaded guilty to stealing almost $1 million in goods during a break-in.
Leon Waddell also admitted to other break-ins, while telling the court that he was never caught before.
Waddell was charged with breaking into the storeroom of Sadik Mohamed Edun, between July 3, and July 4, at Kuru Kururu, and stealing a water pump, a pressure washer, a gas engine and 60 trays of eggs. These items had a total value of $951,000.
According to the facts presented by prosecutor Adduni Inniss, Edun secured the storeroom, where he left the items mentioned in the charge. When he returned on July 4, he observed that the doorway was tampered with and that the items were missing.
The break-in and theft were reported. The police later went to the home of Waddell, where they found the items. The stolen articles were positively identified by Edun.
Waddell stated that he would pay Edun back for the items.
When asked by Magistrate Sunil Scarce if he had committed any similar offences, Waddell stated that he broke and entered houses before but was never caught.
The investigating rank supported this statement and noted that Waddell was indeed arrested before for similar offences but there was never sufficient evidence to successfully prosecute him. Magistrate Scarce subsequently sentenced him to 18 months in jail.
