APPEARING yesterday before Chief Magistrate Ann McLennan on a charge of selling items from his employer Toney Persaud’s boat to purchase food, watchman Battaram Naithram of Mocha, East Bank Demerara told the court, “I was hungry, and I didn’t had nothing to eat.”The 39 year old’s confession was greeted with a 12-month sentence.

The prosecution related that Naithram would normally be left to watch over his employer’s boat; and between November 3 and 4, at the Guyana Fisheries Wharf at Houston, he stole from the motor vessel its $56,000 battery, a 50-pound gas cylinder valued $11,000, and a quantity of groceries totalling $63,000.

As he stood in the prisoner’s dock, Naithram confessed his guilt and begged for leniency, but Police Prosecutor Corporal Deniro Jones told the court that the watchman is no stranger to criminal activities, since he had been previously convicted for a similar offence.

Jones further told the court that after Persaud had left Naithram on his boat as a watchman during the night, the boat-owner later received a call from someone, informing him that a man was seen removing articles from his boat. Upon arrival, Persaud discovered the items missing along with the suspect.

A report was made to the police and Naithram was subsequently arrested. He confessed to the theft of the items and was charged. (Clestine Juan)