Dive shop burglary case adjourned again

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DiveCarib in English Harbour (File photo)
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By Latrishka Thomas

The committal proceeding for a trio charged with burglarising a dive shop earlier this year has been issued one final adjournment date, October 27.

In May, three men were charged in connection with a burglary during which more than $30,000 worth of equipment was said to have been stolen from DiveCarib in English Harbour.

Nineteen-year-old Mauriceson Valentine and 20-year-old Dashaungh Richards were jointly charged with breaking and larceny, while 30-year-old Alvin Goodwin was charged with receiving the stolen goods.

Last week, they appeared before Chief Magistrate Joanne Walsh in St John’s Magistrates’ Court expecting to find out if there is enough evidence for their case to be committed to the High Court for trial.

The matter was adjourned until yesterday because the prosecution claimed that the file is still at the Director of Public Prosecution’s (DPP’s) office.

But Wendel Robinson, the lawyer representing both Valentine and Richards, stated that he believes “it is appropriate to have this matter dismissed” because of “many adjournments”.

The magistrate granted the adjournment requested by the prosecution in order to check with the DPP’s office and to inquire whether the file had indeed been sent in September, as the court heard.

Yesterday, the magistrate disclosed that the file had been ready for pick up from the DPP’s office last week.

The prosecution informed the court that the document was picked up and copied, and can be filed and served upon counsel within a day.

As an aside, Robinson appealed to the prosecution to have the items taken from one of his client’s residence returned.

Goodwin’s attorney is George Lake.

The Dockyard Drive establishment was burglarised on May 8, prompting the owners to offer a US$1,000 reward for information leading to the retrieval of the stolen goods.

A police source told Observer at the time that almost all of the items had been recovered by officers investigating the incident.

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