Artesia primarily covers court stories, but she also writes extensively about crime.
The Court of Appeal on Monday reserved its decision in the case of a 41-year-old man sentenced to two and a half years for breaking into a church and stealing a $6 pack of hotdog buns.
Elkeno Wallace, of Spence Street, who pleaded guilty to shop breaking and sacrilege at his arraignment in September, is appealing both his conviction and sentence.
Wallace’s lawyer, Bjorn Ferguson, argued that the shop breaking offense was a nullity as the charge was not in the Penal Code.
Ferguson noted that the docket said that Wallace was charged with shop breaking contrary to Section 362 of the Penal Code; however, that section referred to the offense of housebreaking.
Additionally, Ferguson argued that the sentences imposed were too severe since Wallace was entitled to deduction due to his guilty pleas.
Wallace was sentenced to two and a half years for shop breaking and one year for sacrilege to be served at the same time.
Darnell Dorsette, the prosecutor, argued that multiple convictions for shop breaking had been upheld over the years.
The panel of Court of Appeal President Sir Michael Barnett and Justices of Appeal Stella Crane-Scott and Sir Brian Moree adjourned the matter to consider the submissions.
