Tobagonian jailed for 5 years

A 39-year-old Tobago man was jailed for five years with hard labour on conviction for shop-breaking and larceny.

Fidel Skeete, of Golden Grove Road, Buccoo, was sentenced by magistrate Andriana Cedeno in the Scarborough first magistrates' court on October 9.

A release yesterday from the TTPS stated that a day after his release from the Scarborough Prison on October 3, after serving three years for office-breaking and larceny, Skeete was arrested in the Shirvan Road district by Sgt Piggott and a party of officers from the Criminal Investigations Department (CID).

On October 3, at 10.30 pm, Judy Baker, of Mt Pleasant Local Road, Mt Pleasant, locked up her business place, J's Mini Mart, and went into her home next door.

Around 11.15 pm she heard dogs barking outside and saw Skeete leaving her shop with something wrapped in his jersey. She saw one of the mini-mart's windows open and discovered drinks were missing from a fridge inside. She made a report at the Shirvan Road Police Station and Sgt Wilson later charged Skeete.

He appeared in court on October 7 and pleaded guilty. He was remanded in custody until October 9, when he was ordered to pay compensation to Baker of $268, or serve four weeks' simple imprisonment. He was then jailed for five years. This is Skeete's eighth conviction in the past ten years.