A 30-year-old man was on Monday sentenced by City Magistrate Sherdel Isaacs-Marcus to eight months imprisonment for the offence of break and enter with larceny.
On January 31, 2022, Christopher Gonsalves of Independence Boulevard, Georgetown, first appeared before the court and pleaded guilty to the charge.
He admitted that on January 21, 2022, at Camp Street, he broke into the dwelling home of Otas Lobahan and stole a Nigerian passport, two bags, a laptop, and a cellphone along with other items totalling $253,500, property of Shawnet Daly.
On Monday, during his sentencing hearing, Gonsalves’ probation report was read in court.
The court heard that he was released from prison in June 2021 after serving a three-year sentence for attempting to bribe a police officer. He was also previously charged for narcotics trafficking and possession.
The prosecutor told the court that Gonsalves is a “menace to society” and should be punished for his actions.
The magistrate, after considering the nature of the case, sentenced Gonsalves to serve eight months behind bars,
According to reports, on the day in question, Lobahan secured his apartment and went to bed at around 00:36hrs.
However, around 03:30hrs, he was awakened by his girlfriend who informed him that someone broke into their apartment.
The couple then discovered several personal items were missing. The matter was reported to the police and based on information, Gonsalves was arrested.
“The door was open. I was under the influence and didn’t know it was these people’s things. I return it…I sorry ma’am,” Gonsalves told the magistrate during his first court appearance.
However, Lobahan had told the court that his door was locked.
