By Monique Washington
Trevor Hector escaped being sent to Her Majesty’s Prison after stealing toothpaste from a Nevis supermarket.
Police said Mr. Hector has a criminal sheet two pages long. He appeared before Magistrate Yasmine Clarke on Tuesday at Magistrate’s Court in Charleston and pleaded guilty to theft charges and possession of cannabis.
According to facts presented in court by Police Prosecutor Inspector Eurita Percival, on July 19 off-duty officer Constable Shion Knight saw Hector at Horsford Valu Mart in Farms Estate and witnessed him taking foour packs of Sensodine toothpast. The suspect allegedly headed toward the cash register and came out of the line and went to an empty cash register where the constable saw him put something under his shirt.
Hector allegedly walked to the open cashier, told her he didn’t see what he wanted, and left the store. The officer stopped him and after identifying himself, asked Hector to lift up his shirt. When he did, the officer saw two tubes of toothpaste were tucked in his pants. He reportedly told the officer “Lawd, awu want lock me up for two small toothpaste?” Officer Knight summoned officers from the Charlestown police station and Hector was arrested and taken into custody.
Upon search of Hector at the station a small bag of marijuana was found in his pants. When asked what it was, he told the police “medical marijuana.”
In court Magistrate Clarke told Hector that he has “ a very serious problem with stealing” and pointed out that since 2009 Hector has been convicted of over a dozen larceny charges. He was also charged with escaping lawful custody in 2015.
In addressing the court Hector begged the court for a noncustodial sentence.
“I feel like the man next to Jesus on the cross, I just begging for one last chance. It won’t happen again, “he pleaded.“
“You say the same thing over and over and over again. Why do you think that will make a difference in my sentencing?” Magistrate Clarke asked.
Ruth Powell chair of the Save SKN group also spoke in court on Hectors’ behalf. She told the court that Hector has volunteered his time to speaking to the youths about his experiences in jail. She pointed out that sending Hector jail has not helped in the past and has only cost the tax payers. She pleaded to the magistrate to not hand Hector a custodial sentence.
“I am going to give you the opportunity to prove me wrong,” Clarke told Hector.
The Magistrate convicted Hector and fined him $800 for cannabis possession to be paid in one month or serve one month in prison. She also convicted and fined him $500 for stealing to be paid in three months or face three months in prison
