6 months' jail for breaking into La Romaine house

KALAPNATH RAMNARINE, 29, will spend the next six months in jail for breaking into a house at Gulf View, La Romaine.

He pleaded guilty on Monday to going into a businessman's house, where police found him standing in a bedroom at Gulf View Drive, at about 12.15 pm on Saturday.

Senior magistrate Jo-Anne Connor sentenced Ramnarine to six months in jail after he admitted in the San Fernando magistrates' court that he went to steal things to sell.

The house is owned by businessman Aleem Ali.

Police prosecutor Cleyon Seedan told Connor PC Krishna Siewnarine responded to a message and, with another police officer, confronted Ramnarine inside the house.

When he asked Ramnarine what he was doing inthe bedroom, he replied, "Boss, I working here. I come to clean out the house."

Siewnarine spoke to Ali, who said he had locked the house on Friday at about 3.52 pm and triggered an alarm system, then left. On Saturday at about 12.06 pm, he was notified that the alarm had gone off, and called the police.

At the house, Siewnarine asked Ali if he recognised Ramnarine and he said, "No, officer, he is not anyone I hire to work on the house. I don't know the guy. No one is supposed to be on the property today."

Siewnarine cautioned Ramnarine, Seedan said, but he replied, "Boss, give me a chance, nah."

Asked what he had in mind being inthe bedroom, Ramnarine confessed to Connor that he was planning to steal. She reminded him that he had previous convictions for assault, malicious damage and driving under the influence.

She ordered him to serve the jail term with hard labour.