“I had to get passage money”- Thief tells court

Jan 14, 2020 News

By Trishan Craig

Levi Williams yesterday told a full court that he stole from a friend who owed him a sum of cash for travel money, while he accused an alleged public servant of purchasing illegal items.

Awaiting sentence: Levi Williams

The accused was hauled before the Acting Chief Magistrate Sherdel Isaacs-Marcus to have two charges read to him in the Georgetown Magistrates’ Courts.
The first charge alleged that on December 7, 2019 at Cornhill Street, Georgetown, Williams stole $15,000 from the person of Murdock Davis. It was also alleged that on December 6, 2019 at Georgetown, he entered the dwelling home of Darrell Romeo and stole one laptop and a laptop bag.
The unrepresented Williams pleaded guilty to both charges.
The facts of the first charge indicated that the parties are known to each other as the accused would regularly clean the victim’s yard for a price.
On the day in question, Williams was cleaning the victim’s yard and about 11:20 hrs the victim secured his home and left, leaving Williams working. About 22:15hrs he returned and discovered that a number of grills on his home were tampered with.
He later found that the items mentioned in the charge were missing. A police report was made and Williams was arrested and later charged.
In connection with the other charge, the court heard that on the day in question about 00:50hrs the victim parked his minibus at the route 41 bus park. He then exited the vehicle and stood in front of the park and started to count his money.
It is then that Williams approached him and snatched the money from him. Williams then jumped on a bicycle and rode away. A report was made at the Stabroek Police Outpost. Following his arrest, Williams was positively identified by eyewitnesses.
When given an opportunity to address the court on both charges, Williams said, “For the first charge all she said is not true. The tampering of the grill is not true, because if it was so they would have charged me for break and enter.”
“He [Romeo] go away and leave the door open. He owes me a substantial amount of money. He owes me like $80,000.”
Williams went on to tell the court that he was in need of some travel money and every time he is owed by the victim he would normally write it down.
Williams further stated that, “I go and investigate and I found the door open so I went in. It had more valuable stuff but because is my friend I just take a bag.” The accused mentioned that in the bag he found a laptop and he found that to be a suitable item to pawn. Therefore, he headed to the Stabroek market.
“At the market I went to one of my personal friend and I pawn the laptop for $13,000. I later went back and get the laptop then I go and try to sell it to Darrell. So actually he get back his laptop.”
As for the second charge Williams said, “This gentleman [Davis] is a public servant but he does come to drive in the night and he not only does that, he does buy all sorts of items whether it legal or illegal.”
The accused highlighted that sometime last year he had a Samsung J7 cellphone. He said that, he along with a friend wanted to sell it for $35,000. According to Williams, they were at the bus park deciding what to do when Davis approached and offered to buy the phone.
“He took the phone for $20,000 and promised to pay by month end but whenever we see him he making excuse after finding out is a thieving phone. Your worship I’m a law abiding citizen but he try all kind thing, even saying he going to the police, but I tell he how you gonna get the police involved in an illegal transaction.”
The matter was then adjourned until January 15, 2020 when a probation report will be presented to the magistrate, who will then hand down a sentence for the accused.

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