By Breaking Belize News Staff: A 20-year-old Belize City man avoided jail after the Magistrate’s Court imposed a suspended sentence for stealing coconuts, despite hearing emotional testimony from a complainant who said she and her family have been terrorized for years by groups of youths loitering and trespassing on her property.
David Lamb, who pleaded guilty to stealing nine coconuts from the yard of the property owner, was sentenced to six months’ imprisonment, suspended for one year. As part of the order, Lamb must remain on good behavior in the sum of $500, keep the peace for one year, and stay at least 100 feet away from Cain’s property. Any breach of the conditions could see him sent to jail for three months.
The Chief Magistrate warned Lamb that he must stay “under the radar” and not be picked up for any offense, no matter how minor, including traffic or bicycle violations. This is Lamb’s first conviction for theft; he had faced a possible one-year prison term that would have been recorded on his criminal record.
The court’s leniency followed a virtual appearance by the property-owner, who recounted what she described as a long-running ordeal involving groups of young men trespassing on her yard, damaging trees, and causing her family ongoing fear and distress. She told the court the issue was not the value of the coconuts, but the mental stress and loss of peace of mind after nearly five decades living on the property.
Cain said that on one occasion, while ill and confined to bed, she was forced to get up to confront the youths. She also described incidents in which trees were cut and damaged, one splitting and falling onto the family’s stairs, and another nearly crashing onto their home. Despite attempts at mediation through the Queen Street Police Station, she said the problems persisted.
Addressing Lamb directly, the woman questioned why he allowed himself to be influenced by others and why he trespassed on property he knew belonged to her. She told the court she pursued legal action to set an example, not out of spite.
In delivering her decision, the Chief Magistrate said that while the offense might seem minor to Lamb, the impact on the woman’s family was serious, infringing on their sense of safety and security. She noted that imprisonment or a fine would not necessarily solve the underlying problem and described the sentence as an attempt to balance criminal accountability with restorative justice.
The court also indicated it would seek to identify other youths involved so that a juvenile social worker could intervene, with the aim of mediation involving parents and preventing further incidents. The woman told reporters after court that she hopes for a stronger mediation process conducted in front of the court to bring the matter to an end.
The post Viral coconut thief gets mercy with suspended sentence after years of ‘terrorizing’ elderly neighbor appeared first on Belize News and Opinion on www.breakingbelizenews.com.
By Breaking Belize News Staff: A 20-year-old Belize City man avoided jail after the Magistrate’s Court imposed a suspended sentence for stealing coconuts, despite hearing emotional testimony from a complainant who said she and her family have been terrorized for years by groups of youths loitering and trespassing on her property. David Lamb, who pleaded
The post Viral coconut thief gets mercy with suspended sentence after years of ‘terrorizing’ elderly neighbor appeared first on Belize News and Opinion on www.breakingbelizenews.com.
