A Bridgetown court heard today that school supplies which a St Peter man stole from a City business, were not for a student but for sale in order to get money to buy “blackies” to satisfy a drug habit.
Richard Ricardo Jordan of Six Men’s, pleaded guilty to the theft when he appeared before acting Magistrate Elwood Watts in the District ‘A’ Traffic Court.
Jordan stole three erasers, seven books, two boxes of wax crayons and four packs of pencils valued at $119.94 from Pages Bookstore in Cave Shepherd yesterday.
Sergeant Theodore McClean told the court that the unemployed 44-year-old went into the bookstore and was seen by security taking the items and placing them in a haversack which he had with him.
After doing so, he walked past the cashier. However, on reaching the ground floor, he was stopped by security personnel and the supplies found in his bag.
After police were summoned and they interviewed Jordan, he told them, “I does smoke blackies [marijuana mixed with crack] and I was going to sell them for some money.”
The repeat offender told the Acting Magistrate that he did landscaping and other odd jobs. He also said he lived with his mother and brother but did not depend on his mother’s pension to feed him.
“I try to hold my own,” he said.
Asked about his drug use, Jordan replied that he smoked “when pressure comes” because, although his mother loved him a lot, support from other family members was not forthcoming.
“I really don’t want to go back to prison,” he pleaded.
However, the Acting Magistrate told him that any help he would receive, would have to be in prison, especially since he had not sought any help for his drug habit since he came out of jail.
Jordan was sentenced to 12 months and an order made for him to enrol in the drug rehabilitation programme.