Latest update June 1st, 2026 12:37 AM
Chief Magistrate warns police recruit to stop stealing
Chief Magistrate Ann McLennan was very compassionate with a 24-year-old police recruit who appeared before her and admitted to stealing his colleague’s mobile phone.
Instead of sentencing or imposing a fine on Gladwin De Vieira for the offence, the Chief Magistrate reprimanded him and discharged the matter.
De Vieira, who will be graduating in the next two weeks, was told by the Chief Magistrate to stop stealing because it could spoil the rest of his life. The Chief Magistrate told him, “I am going to gave you a chance today. It is your lucky day. If it does not belong to you do not touch it.” The Chief Magistrate commended him for wanting to become a police officer and reminded him that he is close to achieving it.
De Vieira of 201 One Mile, Wismar, Linden, pleaded guilty to the charge which stated that on August 21 at the Felix Austin Police College, Eve Leary, Georgetown, he stole a Samsung Galaxy S5 cellular phone valued $75,000, property of Sherman Paul, who is also a police recruit.
De Vieira explained that he stole the phone to “spite” someone who had earlier carried away his BLU cell phone. He told the court that on the day in question, he placed his BLU mobile phone to charge after using it to contact his mother.
De Vieira said that the following morning, he discovered the phone was missing and made a report.
But he claimed that no action was taken, which prompted him to steal his colleague’s phone.
According to the recruit, later that evening a Police Sergeant inquired from him about Paul’s cell phone and he admitted to taking it. He added that he returned the phone to Paul after being instructed by his superior to do so. He said that after returning the phone, Paul told him that he would not pursue the matter.
The Chief Magistrate advised De Vieira that he cannot go about taking matters into his own hands, because although he reported that someone had carried away his phone, police sometimes take a while to investigate matters.
According to Police Prosecutor Arvin Moore, on the day in question, Paul left his phone charging in the barrack room and went downstairs. When he returned, the prosecutor said that Paul discovered that the phone was missing and later saw De Vieira with the article in his possession.
During a confrontation between the two men, Prosecutor Moore stated that De Vieira confessed to taking the cell phone which was later taken to the Inquires Office at the Felix Austin Police College by a police rank.
The matter was reported to the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) Headquarters, Eve Leary, Georgetown, where De Vieira admitted to the offence in a caution statement.
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Does this warning mean that ‘stealing by Cops’ is a regular ‘thing’?