Man uses ‘bad words’ in court after $700 fine

Two British Virgin Islands citizens who stole roughly $29 worth of alcohol from a Fine Foods store have been fined a combined total of $1,700 in the Magistrate’s Court.

However, one of the offenders who apparently did not like the sentence blurted out indecent language in the courtroom.

Senior Magistrate Tamia Richards fined 23-year-old Edgar Ovalles and 31-year-old Samuel Rymer for the offence this month.

Rymer who was fined $1,000 will serve two months in prison if the sum is not paid by February 21.

Ovalles, who is on remand at Her Majesty’s Prison for an unrelated offence, was fined $700.

Upon hearing the penalty, he started to grumble. He was heard complaining that he can’t pay the fine while behind bars.

“I ain’t in that sh*t mehson. Where am I gonna get the money from?” Ovalles asked. His question was followed by further use of indecent language.

Senior Magistrate Tamia Richards – while noting the ‘bad words’ – ordered that Ovalles serves the default sentence of 30 days instead of paying the fine.

She further told him that he could be further imprisoned for using indecent language before a sitting magistrate.

The foul-mouth offender then apologised. “My bad, you check…? Sorry for what I said. It won’t happen again.”

How the theft unfolded

It was reported that, on August 26 last year, Rymer and Ovalles visited Fine Foods in Long Swamp, Tortola.

Ovalles reportedly approached the security guard who was stationed at the store, and posed as a distraction while Rymer entered and picked up a bottle of wine.

Rymer allegedly placed the item into his back pocket and used his shirt to conceal it while he passed the cashier.

As he exited the store, however, the security guard noticed the concealed item and tried unsuccessfully to stop Rymer.

The court heard that, while the security guard was distracted, Ovalles ran into the store and snatched a bottle of Scotch whiskey.

During his attempt to escape with the whiskey, the bottle fell and broke.

The court heard that, although both men escaped, the incident was recorded on camera.

They were arrested and charged some time afterwards.

During a previous court appearance when both men pleaded guilty, Rymer told Senior Magistrate Richards that he was buying alcohol from the store all day and became drunk.

He added that, when he went into the store on the last occasion to purchase the bottle of wine, he ‘mistakenly’ pocketed the bottle and left the establishment.