A confessed thief has blamed the death of his mother on his legal troubles.
Rohan Hibbert said his mother was worried about him being in conflict with the law and died 17 days after he was locked up. The 23-year-old man was jailed for stealing almost $800,000 worth of goods from a wholesale in downtown Kingston on November 7.
"She is a DC [district constable] [and] since me deh behind bars, she a fret over me and dead," Hibbert told Senior Parish Judge Lori-Anne Cole-Montaque when he appeared in the Kingston and St Andrew Parish Court on Tuesday.
The youngster, who pleaded guilty to shopbreaking and larceny, was told by the judge that he will have to "walk with that guilt for the rest of your life".
"So your sentence start already. But that's not the end all, I'm sorry there is more," Cole-Montaque said.
It was reported that on November 7, the complainant securely locked her business and went home. Some hours later, she received a phone call, alerting her that her shop was being burglarised. The court heard that the apprehending officer, who was on patrol about 1 a.m., received information that thieves were seen exiting the complainant's establishment with two large bags, buckets and cases of water. The goods are said to be valued at $796,000.
When accosted, it is alleged that Hibbert said on caution, "Offica, a regular looting gwan a town and me just say me a go tek some tings fi guh sell."
The senior judge, after hearing Hibbert's alleged caution statement, said she was curious and would love to hear his explanation.
The accused man obliged.
"Your Honour, I just came out of my house to put my 'catty' on a taxi and I saw a shop open up, Your Honour. So I went inside there and pack up some things and got caught," he told the judge.
Hibbert was made the subject of a fingerprint order and was remanded in custody until January 31, 2023 when he will be sentenced.
