Grocery thief jailed for four years

A term of four years in jail was yesterday slapped on a man for breaking into a businessplace and stealing thousands of dollars.

Magistrate Kerrianne Byer, presiding in the San Fernando Magistrates’ court, said that she was minded to jail Sunil Ramkissoon, 42, of Moonridge Drive, Phillipine, to six years because he has chalked up a record 23 previous convictions for larceny and narcotic offences which characterises that of a career criminal. Considering that he pleaded guilty, she reduced the sentence by two years for his guilty plea, that on Tuesday, he broke into V&S Supermarket on SS Erin Road, Phillipine. The prosecutor Sgt Ian Sylvan, told Byer that at about 3 am, while on police patrol, officers responded to a wireless report of a break-in at the supermarket. Upon arrival, they saw that a window and burglarproof to the businessplace were broken. Sylvan said police went into the building and confronted Ramkissoon, who had in his hand a bag with $30,747 . The bag also contained US$40. He was arrested and charged with larceny.

The prosecutor told the magistrate Ramkissoon had previous convictions for housebreaking and narcotic offences and they amounted to 23 over just a few years. Byer commended the police for their diligent police work in responding immediately to the crime and arresting the defendant in the act.

‘The business owners must have been contented that all of the money was recovered, for, it is not often the perpetrators are caught with the loot and a lot of time they remain at a loss, “ Byer said.