By Breaking Belize News Staff: A Belize City man accused of stealing his neighbour’s $700 washing machine has pleaded not guilty after telling the court that the owner had actually given him the old machine because it was not working and he later sold it for just $25.
Richmond Isaac Roberts, 51, appeared in the Belize City Magistrate’s Court on a charge of theft involving a blue-and-white Acros washing machine belonging to a 63-year-old neighbor.
Roberts initially attempted to plead guilty with an explanation, but after hearing the prosecution’s allegations, he disagreed.
“No, that dah nuh how it happened,” Roberts told the court.
He claimed the man had given him the washing machine because it was no longer working and that he subsequently sold it to another man for $25 for parts.
Based on that explanation, the Magistrate entered an equivocal plea of not guilty on Roberts’ behalf and offered him bail of $1,000 plus one surety of the same amount.
Roberts, however, was unable to immediately secure his release because court records showed he still had outstanding fines from previous matters, including a 2023 controlled-drug possession case, another theft matter and a 2015 bicycle offence for riding without a bell.
The court informed Roberts that the outstanding fines had to be settled before he could process bail. When he was unable to pay them, warrants were prepared for him to serve the default prison terms, leaving him behind bars at the Belize Central Prison.
In the current theft case, Bodden told police that on August 22 he left the washing machine beside the back step of his home before going to work. When he returned that evening, the machine was gone.
The man later spotted what he believed was his washing machine at a business that repairs refrigerators and appliances. He said the person there told him the machine had been obtained from Roberts.
The maintains that he never gave Roberts permission to take or sell the washing machine and told police it had been in working condition.
Roberts is now expected to challenge the theft allegation in court.
The post Man charged after neighbour spots stolen washing machine at repair shop; says he sold it for $25 appeared first on Belize News and Opinion on www.breakingbelizenews.com.
By Breaking Belize News Staff: A Belize City man accused of stealing his neighbour’s $700 washing machine has pleaded not guilty after telling the court that the owner had actually given him the old machine because it was not working and he later sold it for just $25. Richmond Isaac Roberts, 51, appeared in the
The post Man charged after neighbour spots stolen washing machine at repair shop; says he sold it for $25 appeared first on Belize News and Opinion on www.breakingbelizenews.com.
