FORTY-EIGHT-YEAR-OLD Ray Singh of Lot 180 Third Street, Alexander Village Georgetown was sentenced to eighteen months’imprisonment after he confessed to a charge of break and enter and larceny.

The craftsman appeared before Magistrate Sherdel Isaacs Marcus, who imposed the custodial penalty even as the thief begged for a month, in contrast to Sergeant Godfrey Playter’s request for a three-year term of imprisonment.

In the New Amsterdam Court, Playter said that on Wednesday, December 3, at about 02:30hrs, Lorna Campbell, who lives at Winkle Road, was awakened on hearing a noise emanating from her storeroom. On checking, she discovered that a vacuum cleaner and a Shell (Rubis) gas bottle were missing. Checks were made within the surrounding area, and the two articles were found under a heap of grass. The police were informed, and the thief was found in close proximity to where the items were recovered.

When questioned, Singh admitted entering the storeroom and removing the articles.

In court, Singh said he saw the storeroom open and he entered and took the articles. He claimed that the son of the virtual complainant gave him a trashing just before the police arrived at the scene.

Singh told the magistrate that he did not ask for the items, as it was late and he did not want to disturb the occupants.