Vendor gets three years for stealing shotgun, cartridges from Sheriff guard

 Mewali Clark
Mewali Clark

A plantain chip vendor will now spend the next three years behind bars after pleading with the court to be lenient on him for stealing a shotgun and cartridges from a security guard, an act which he described as “his opportunity” due to the man’s “unprofessional” and “careless” conduct.

Mewali Clark, 33, of Section ‘A’, Pattensen, Greater Georgetown, made his appearance before Chief Magistrate Ann McLennan in Court One of the Georgetown Magistrate’s Court where he was charged with simple larceny.

According to the particulars of the charge, Clark on December 25 at Bel Air Avenue, Georgetown, stole one 12- gauge HDM Escobar shotgun valued at $350,000 and three cartridges worth $3,000 from Toussaint Williams, the property of Sheriff Security Service.

The prosecutor, Inspector Shundel Chapman, yesterday told the court that the virtual complainant and the defendant are known to each other. On the day in question, Williams, who was armed with the shotgun was on duty at a residence at Bel Air Avenue when he observed Clark passing and spewing on himself.

He then called out to Clark and invited him into the residence in order to assist him. Chapman related that Williams then left the defendant in the guard hut with the gun and went to fetch a bucket of water to have Clark clean himself off but upon his return, neither Clark nor the gun were in sight.

As a result, Williams raised an alarm and reported the matter to the police, whereupon an investigation was launched. The police acting on information received, later that day apprehended Clark who took them to an area at Plum Park, Sophia, and pointed out exactly where he had buried the gun and the cartridges.

The items were taken to the Alberttown Police Station where Williams positively identified the articles which were then marked, sealed and lodged.

It was stated that in the presence of the police, and Williams, Clark, admitted to stealing the items and told investigators that they should leave Williams alone.

However, Clark disputed the prosecution’s facts, and said that he and Williams are not known to each other.

Asked by the magistrate why he committed the act, Clark responded that he did it because he noticed that the security guard was conducting himself in an “unprofessional” and “careless” manner whilst on duty. He added, “I didn’t mean to cause any harm but I know it was something of value and I needed money at the point in time.”

The unrepresented man further informed the court that while being interrogated at the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) at the Alberttown Police Station, he told an investigator that he took the gun and give a friend to hide it.

He said that when he went to the friend’s house along with the police, the friend denied having any gun and denied knowing him (Clark). The defendant added that after a few minutes, the investigator started to interrogate the friend and it was then they managed to retrieve the gun after the friend showed the police where he hid it after taking it from Clark.

After hearing Clark’s confession, Chapman immediately stood up and told the court that the man who Clark claimed he gave the gun to, had written a statement saying that when he saw Clark with the gun, Clark chased him and went away and hid the gun by himself.

The man who seemed to be in disbelief after hearing the prosecution’s argument began imploring Magistrate McLennan to be lenient with him as she decided on his sentence and reiterated that it was the security guard’s “careless” conduct that prompted him to carry out the act. He told her that he saw it as an “opportunity” to earn some money and he seized that opportunity before anyone else. 

The magistrate then informed Clark that she had taken into consideration his early guilty plea and his remorse but would  have to sentence him to a term of three years due to the seriousness of the offence.