A labourer who told a City court that he was drunk when he stole a woman’s car will be spending two years behind bars.
“You worship I was under the influence of alcohol when I took the vehicle,” were the words of Anthony Cooper, 32, of South, Georgetown. He was hauled before Chief Magistrate Ann McLennon who handed down the sentence at the Georgetown Magistrates’ Courts.
Cooper admitted that on October 10, 2021, at Stabroek Market Tarmac, he stole motor vehicle, Toyota Axio, registration number PZZ1293, property of Onica Ashanti Ridgemond Bobb.
According to the court prosecutor’s statement, on the date mentioned, the woman parked her car and forgot the car key in the driver side door. She left to do vending at the market but by the time she returned, the car was missing.
Bobb made a report to the police. The police then checked CCTV which revealed the defendant entering the car and driving away with it.
Yesterday, the woman’s husband saw the car and identified it by a distinguishing mark. The man drove into the car causing Cooper to stop.
After Cooper exited the car, he was confronted by Bobb’s husband. Cooper then admitted that he stole the car.
Today, Cooper told the court that he was drunk when he drove off in the car.
He told the court that he was going home from a long day of work. He also claim he was drunk so when he saw the car he drove off in it after waiting for the owner to return. He claimed that he was going to return the car but then he got confronted. However, Cooper has already changed the number plate.
Cooper asked Bobb to let him pay her for the time he spent with the car but the Magistrate reprimanded him.
Chief Magistrate McLennan told Cooper that he cannot get drunk and steal vehicles. She said that it was not an excuse and then she sentenced him to two years in prison.
