GUYANESE national Eon Lewis is probably now back in Guyana after a Magistrate in Barbados found him guilty of stealing two gold chains worth Bds$1,300 (US$650) from fellow countrywoman Marlyn Raak.

Lewis, 49, told  the District ‘A’ Magistrate’s Court in Bridgetown: “I fall between a rock and hard place (because) I here illegal and I am a non-national. I feel sorry because this is my first appearance in court”.

In begging for a lenient sentence, Lewis said he was in a sports bar in the Baxters Road area of the city when he noticed the gold chains around the woman’s neck because of her “plunging neckline”.

Prosecutor, Sergeant Trenton Small, told the court that the complainant said she  took off her jewellery, put them in  bag and gave the bag to Lewis to hold while she went to the washroom.

It was only “sometime later” she found the jewellery missing and Lewis was picked up in Fairchild Street  by Police and charged.

Also in court was a Barbados Immigration department Officer who disclosed that Lewis  had come to the island in October 2006.

He was granted a week’s stay but never returned to the Department for an extension or a work permit.

In his defence, Lewis said he  got “tied up” with someone who had promised to get him a work permit.

When Lewis went to the Department with the said “person” after allegedly giving him a sum of money, he was refused the permit and told to return to Guyana.

The Magistrate gave Lewis the choice of spending 28 days in Her Majesty’s Prison Doods or get deported. He chose to be deported.

Meanwhile, another Guyanese  name Terrence Hack was also before the Barbados courts this past week charged with defrauding two other Guyanese –  Aggery Thomas  and Troy Young.

Prosecutor, Inspector Martin James, told District “E” court that Hack took Bds$1,500 from Thomas promising to get him a work permit. Further,  he took Bds$750 from Young.

Hack was remanded to Her Majesty’s Prison  until 25 August when he will reappear in the Holetown Court.