Woman of unsound mind steals from Culture Ministry

Dec 21, 2013 News

Almost two months ago, chaos prevailed at the Georgetown Magistrates’ Court when Maria Murray made her first appearance before Magistrate Fabayo Azore to face two charges; break and enter as well as unlawfully and malicious damage.
On that occasion, the charges were deemed indictable and as such she was not required to plead. However, due to the situations which occurred in the courtroom, an unstable and injured Murray was ordered to undergo a psychiatric evaluation by the Magistrate.
Yesterday, in the same court, a more refined and stable Murray presented herself before Magistrate Ann McLennan. She sat quietly as the charges were read to her again, then pleaded guilty to the charge which claimed that on October 27, last, at Georgetown, she broke and enter the Ministry of Culture Youth and Sports (MYCS) and stole six beverages valued at $1600, property of the said Ministry.
She however, pleaded “Not Guilty” when the Magistrate told her that the police said that she unlawfully and maliciously damaged a quantity of curtains valued at $300,000, property of the said Ministry.
At yesterday’s hearing she told the court that she is a 31-year-old mother of six who resides at 9 Hadfield Street, Lodge, Georgetown.
Maria said that even though her eldest child is 15-years-old and the youngest is three months, she is currently pregnant. She started wailing when she told the court that the welfare officers had taken four of her six children.
Magistrate McLennan at this point asked her where the baby was staying and she said “The baby living with the Rasta man.” This individual was within the precincts of the court.
He identified himself as Linden Samuel Alexander Gomel, the woman’s “child-father” and said that the relationship she shared with her first “child father” was abusive and since it ended she “started tripping.”
The Magistrate inquired whether she would have been receiving medications and he said that “She used to go when she feel like and if she ain’t feel like, she ain’t go.” In turn, McLennan then told the man that he has to ensure that she goes to receive her treatment.
“She following people to do these things. A man put a gun on she and make she do the things.”
At this point, Corporal Deniro Jones who represented the prosecution told the court that on October 26; she was seen loitering around the MYCS building. He said that the Permanent Secretary had secured the building and left.
Jones relayed that a security guard was checking the building when he noticed a glass window from the Permanent Secretary’s office broken. He thereafter found the defendant lying on the balcony.
The prosecution relayed that Maria was drunk when the incident occurred. Jones said that the matter was reported and the investigations which were conducted led to the items being discovered as missing.
The Magistrate then inquired whether the items were found on Maria but the prosecutor responded in the negative. When asked what happened with the curtains, Jones said that she pulled them and tore them up in front of the security guard.
Maria at this point had appeared to have fallen into a light sleep, so the Magistrate asked her to stand up and she complied but stated that her feet, one of which was bandaged, were hurting.
She told the Magistrate that “It’s a bai name Buxton. He does carry me with he. He does put me to climb up them building and tell me to thrown down them things fuh he.”
“Is he does carry me all the time and when I ain wan guh, he does beat me. I didn’t tell me child father because he woulda beat he up bad, bad.”
“I pull he up before but he does threaten me right pun North Road,” the Rasta Man said,
Prosecutor Jones also added that the curtains and a laptop were found. “She was drinking some of the beverages. Constable Singh photographed the incident,” the prosecutor said.
Magistrate McLennan remanded the woman on the unlawfully and maliciously damage charge. Her next court appearance is January 13, 2014 for statements.
Additionally, she fined Maria $20,000 for the charge of break and enter larceny.
She said that if she fails to pay, she will be sentenced to two weeks’ of imprisonment which she can serve at the National Psychiatric Hospital.
At the end of the hearing, the Magistrate kindly instructed the woman that she will be at the hospital so that she can take her time to get better, to come off the crack and cocaine and come clean.

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Woman of unsound mind steals from Culture Ministry

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