Man fined for driving vehicle stolen by escaped prisoner

A Purcell Estate man was fined more than $3,000 after he was seen driving a stolen Mazda belonging to International Motors after the September 2017 hurricanes.

Charged with handling stolen goods, driving an uninsured vehicle, driving a vehicle without a driver’s license and driving an unlicensed vehicle, is Royanson Arrington.

He pleaded guilty to all counts when he appeared before Senior Magistrate Tamia Richards last week.

In handing down his sentence, the senior magistrate said a non-custodial sentence would suffice.

For the offence of handling stolen goods, he was fined $2,000. If he fails to pay, he will spend four months at Her Majesty’s Prison. For the traffic offence of driving an uninsured vehicle, he was fined $750, or in default, he will spend two months at the adult penitentiary.

For driving a vehicle without a driver’s license, he was fined $120. He was also fined $150 for driving an unlicensed vehicle. If he fails to pay, he will spend seven days in jail for each offence.

All fines must be paid by July 31.

“I am really sorry, I was trying to help my family,” he told the court ahead of his sentencing.

What the court heard happened

The court heard that between September 5 and 8, a black Mazda belonging to International Motors was stolen from their Fish Bay location. The vehicle was among a fleet of cars that were relocated to the western car park in preparation of the upcoming hurricane.

The keys were left inside each vehicle in anticipation that they would be forced to relocate.

However, when the manager visited the location on September 8, three vehicles were missing including the Mazda.

A report was made to the police.

While on mobile patrol, police saw Arrington driving the said vehicle in Purcell Estate.

He was subsequently arrested and charged.

During a police interview, Arrington said the vehicle was in the possession of a prison escapee who was living at the Purcell Estate Community Centre where he was staying after the hurricane. He said he suspected that the vehicle was stolen.

He said ‘common sense’ told him that it was stolen because it was void of stickers and its licensing documents, but he took a chance and drove it.

The court heard that after the prisoner’s recapture, he along with others at the centre began using it.