Barbados Today

Brian Andrew DaCosta Addison went to the Welfare Department on Tuesday to get help but ended up helping himself to someone else’s cellular phone.

Addison, of Niles Road, Waterhall Land, St Michael made that admission earlier today in the District ‘A’ Magistrates Court. The father of two told Magistrate Douglas Frederick
that he would “not waste the court’s time” and promptly pleaded guilty to the offence.

The bobcat operator was eventually placed on a bond to keep the peace for six months. If he is found in breach, he will have to forfeit $1 500 forthwith or face six months in prison.

The court heard that while police were patrolling on Roebuck Street, The City on Tuesday, a woman signalled to them to stop. Having made the complaint that her phone had been stolen, police took her on the streets to look for the culprit. That was to no avail.

Sergeant Martin Rock said that police received information subsequently and when they returned to the Welfare Department, they found Addison there.  He then directed the lawmen to a man who had the phone and to his home where the sim and memory cards were.

Today, Addison explained that he was “not accustomed to doing anything like this” but things have been so hard on him financially, that he just saw the phone on a wall and took it up. He went on to say that he was at the Welfare Department trying to get help but personnel there did not think they would be able to help him.

“I am not saying what I did was right; it was wrong,” Addison said, adding that he had not worked for some time and wanted to work to help support his two young children, one of whom spends a lot of time at his home.

“I felt real bad knowing I did it,” he concluded.