Bartica underwear thief ordered to do community service

A 27-year-old Bartica resident has been ordered to perform two months of community service after admitting to stealing a quantity of underwear.

Dwight Marks pleaded guilty to the charge, which was read to him on Thursday by Chief Magistrate Ann McLennan in Georgetown, where he was also sentenced.

The charge alleged that on March 5th, at Second Avenue, Bartica, Marks stole a quantity of underwear, valued $63,000, from Prudence Benjamin.

According to Prosecutor Gordon Mansfield, Marks and Benjamin are related to each other and on the date in question, around 9 pm, Benjamin left the underwear, which was in a black plastic bag, in her living room and went into her son’s bedroom. Afterward, she saw Marks enter the bedroom. She then raised an alarm and Marks ran away. She later discovered that the black plastic bag with the underwear was missing.

When the Chief Magistrate asked Marks if he had anything to say in relation to the matter, he said, “I was hungry and at the said time. I saw the bag and I picked it up.”

Marks was subsequently ordered to perform two months of community service at the Bartica Police Station. If, however, he chooses not to perform the community service, he will be re-arrested and will have to serve the default sentence of five months in jail.