Man tells magistrate: Hunger made me thief

STACY MOORE

Hunger led a Gasparillo man to steal $40 from a restaurant. Chris Smith,57, appeared before senior magistrate Cheryl Ann- Antoine in the San Fernando First Magistrates’ Court to answer to the charges of theft and unlawfully being at the 4R Restaurant at Elizabeth Street, Marabella.

He pleaded guilty to the charges laid by PC Patrick. When questioned by the magistrate why he stole the money from the restaurant, Smith said he was hungry.

“It is the same way I feeling hungry now, I was hungry that time,” he said. Antoine told him he could not just break into people’s establishments because he was hungry.

“This is not your family’s house sir,” she said. Smith then mumbled again that he was hungry. Antoine asked him whether he had ever received psychiatric treatment. He paused for a few seconds before replying, “No”.

Smith told her he was living at Lumsden Road, Gasparillo with his 35-year-old niece and her children. He said he earned a living doing construction work with his brother. The matter was stood down and attorney Frank Gittens was asked to assist Smith while Antoine dealt with another matter. However Smith began yawning loudly, interrupting the court. Antoine ordered that he be sent for evaluation at the St Ann’s Psychiatric Hospital. The case was adjourned to December 7.