No bail for man charged with stealing avocados, lemons

A MAN charged with stealing 63 lemons and ten avocados has been remanded into custody by a magistrate in San Fernando, because he refused to allow the police to take his fingerprints.

Joel Walcott, 43, of Bay View, La Romaine, appeared yesterday before senior magistrate Jo-Anne Connor who read to him a charge that on September 12, he stole five avocados from Shawn Simon, at Gulf View Drive, East Bay, La Romaine.

Another charge alleged that on Tuesday, he stole ten avocados and 63 green lemons from Annette Seetaram, at Phyllis Street, La Romaine. The avocados and lemons were valued at $930.

Walcott pleaded guilty.

Prosecutor PC Cleyon Seedan told the court that at about 5 pm on Tuesday, PCs Coomansingh, Foster and Badal were on patrol when they saw a man on top a tree in Seetaram's yard. The woman called out to the police and said, "Officer, that is the man who tiefing my zaboca."

When confronted, Seedan said, Walcott replied, "Officer, everything in La Romaine is mines."

Connor asked Walcott if what the prosecutor read was correct, but he he said the lemons belong to a woman who had given them to him. The magistrate entered a not-guilty verdict.

Seedan said Walcott refused to give police his fingerprints and this prevented them from tracing his criminal record.

Bail was refused and Walcott was remanded into custody until today.

"Please allow the police to fingerprint you," the magistrate pleaded.