By Breaking Belize News Staff: A 23-year-old Belize City construction worker accused of being caught running from police with a stolen purse in his hands pleaded not guilty to handling stolen goods after learning that a guilty plea could land him behind bars for at least six months.
Randolph Churchill Gibson, a resident of Far West Street, appeared unrepresented in the Belize City Magistrate’s Court on Monday, where he was charged with one count of handling stolen goods.
The charge stems from an incident early Saturday morning, August 22, at the corner of Freetown Road and Cleghorn Street.
Police allege that at around 4:00 a.m., officers on patrol saw a man crouched near a building about 50 feet from a food stall and searching through a purse. When the man noticed the police, he allegedly ran off with the purse in his hands.
Officers pursued and detained the man, identified as Gibson, and allegedly recovered the purse containing cash in various denominations, two rings and other personal belongings.
Police subsequently traced the items to a 50-year-old man, who reportedly identified the purse as his and told investigators it had been inside the front seat of his parked red Ford pickup truck. The man also identified the cash as his and the two rings as belonging to his wife.
The property allegedly handled by Gibson, including the leather purse, jewellery and $49.57 in cash, was valued by police at a total of $949.57.
At his arraignment, Gibson requested a sentencing indication before entering a plea. The Magistrate informed him that, based on the circumstances before the court, he was facing a minimum custodial sentence of six months if he pleaded guilty.
Gibson subsequently entered a not-guilty plea.
With no objection from the prosecution, he was granted bail in the sum of $2,000 plus one surety of the same amount.
As conditions of his bail, Gibson must report to the Queen Street Police Station every Wednesday between 6:00 a.m. and 6:00 p.m. He was also placed under an 8:00 p.m. to 6:00 a.m. curfew.
Gibson met bail Monday afternoon and is due back in court on October 28, 2026.
He is also reportedly before the court in a separate armed robbery matter for which he had previously been granted bail.
The post Man allegedly caught with stolen purse rejects 6-month plea indication; pleads not guilty appeared first on Belize News and Opinion on www.breakingbelizenews.com.
By Breaking Belize News Staff: A 23-year-old Belize City construction worker accused of being caught running from police with a stolen purse in his hands pleaded not guilty to handling stolen goods after learning that a guilty plea could land him behind bars for at least six months. Randolph Churchill Gibson, a resident of Far
The post Man allegedly caught with stolen purse rejects 6-month plea indication; pleads not guilty appeared first on Belize News and Opinion on www.breakingbelizenews.com.
