“THOU shalt not steal” is one of the Ten Commandments which are learnt in church, and for 32-year-old Michael Jeffery, he will be learning it the hard way as he spends the Easter holiday behind bars.

Jeffery was charged and appeared last Thursday before Senior Magistrate Leron Daly for breaking into the Bedford Methodist Church’s manse and stealing over $100,000 in items.
He denied that between March 3rd and March 26, in Georgetown, he broke and entered the church and stole two toilet seats, valued at $80,000, two sinks, valued at $30,000, a toilet tank, valued at $10,000 and a metal chair, valued at $5,000.

The unrepresented man denied the charge and kept a straight face as the prosecutor Sanj Singh told the court that the defendant was caught on CCTV camera breaking into the church and removing the items.

Singh further added that when Jeffery was arrested by the police, he confessed to the crime and took them to where the stolen items were hidden and returned them.
Nevertheless, Jeffery still denied and debunked the prosecution’s claims.
The prosecutor opposed the defendant being released on bail, since he failed to prove that he has a fixed place of abode.

Magistrate Daly, after listening to both sides of the case, remanded Jeffery to prison until April 4.