By Latrishka Thomas
Two young men in their 20s have been sentenced in connection with the theft of 11 push-up windows.
The incident came to light on the morning of September 9 when a man, who was renovating a house, reported the theft of the windows from the property.
An investigator subsequently visited the residence of Malique Payne, took him into custody, and conducted interviews.
Payne admitted to receiving the windows at 4.30am on the day of the incident from another youngster named Brandon Murphy.
Murphy had promised to pay Payne $700 to hold the windows for him. Payne, upon realising that the items were stolen, returned six of them, while Murphy kept five.
Payne’s confession led to the execution of a search warrant at Murphy’s residence, resulting in his arrest.
While at the police station, Payne urged Murphy to tell the truth. Murphy subsequently informed the police of his intention to pay for the stolen windows and led them to a nearby building where five of the windows were stored.
In the legal proceedings yesterday, Payne was charged with receiving the items worth a total of $4,500, while Murphy faced a charge of larceny. Both individuals admitted to their respective charges.
Payne’s lawyer, Damien Benjamin, argued that his client had shown remorse by returning the items and cooperating with the investigation.
Murphy appeared to have played a more significant role in the theft. He informed the court that he had taken the windows because they appeared old and abandoned, with the intention of scrapping them for some extra income.
As a result, Payne received a fine of $400, while Murphy was ordered to pay $2,050 for the five broken windows that were recovered.
The sentence was handed down by Magistrate Dane Hamilton Jnr.