Ports Authority employee gets suspended sentence for theft
Nicklin Joseph, the BVI Ports Authority (BVIPA) employee who was caught stealing on camera, has been handed an eight-month suspended sentence.
Magistrate Ayanna Baptiste DaBreo suspended the sentence for one year.
That effectively means that Joseph will only serve time in prison if he commits another offence within the next year.
He was sentenced recently after pleading guilty to theft.
The court also ordered the offender to repay the $4,867 worth of goods that were stolen.
What prosecutors say happened
It is said that surveillance footage showed a group of BVIPA employees carting off with several electronic appliances from a warehouse at Port Purcell late last year.
Joseph was implicated in connection with the heist, the court was told.
It is said that police subsequently executed a search warrant at Joseph’s residence and uncovered a number of suspected stolen items including a battery pack, a cellular phone, a PlayStation game console, and one Samsung tablet.
He was implicated with two other employees identified as Fat Hogs Bay resident Donice Samuel, and Dabriel Merry of East End. It is alleged that police also searched their homes and discovered a number of other suspicious items.
Those two accused persons were not sentenced.
They pleaded not guilty to handling stolen goods when they appeared before the Magistrate’s Court last week.
They are scheduled to return to court.
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this is why the BVI is so messed up, locals steal and don’t get punished for it…time for the UK to take over this lawless country
expats thief to
How do you know they are locals. Most of the people who looted were expat didn’t they get a slap on the wrist.
local my ass,every where in the world there is thieft.they grow up here .expat
Slaps on their hands.
What of the expat looters that were convicted…let’s compare their sentences to this one and assess the fairness. And the Police Commissioner bashing the public for not coming forward. Justice is everybody’s business and if only part of the body functioning…’tain gon work…if the Ports employee loot and get away with it like this…then much more regular members of the public who do not have hold a position of trust and confidence
Wow, and we expect crime to stop? You blatantly stole stuff in the midst of a crisis when you should’ve been helping and get a suspended sentence and have to purchase the goods you stole. WTF?
Looters and port staff that stole should have gotten prison time. The looters got community service.
Exactly. What kind of message does this send to employees at Ports? You may as well try and steal stuff – you just get let off with a warning if you get caught.
Now they need to look into those who getting paid to have drugs and gun pass through.
I’ve heard that a Port’s Supervisor in Virgin Gorda was just suspended Not fired for stealing. When people’s stuff go missing, go figure,
A waiting to hear the sentence of the other two who are expat employee.
If port employees are stealing property brought in by importers, what you will happen if a criminal brings in drugs and guns through the ports and have to deal with these employees, all the criminal have to do is offer a bribe to them and you know the rest of the story. What a shame port employee, where is you moral values thought to you by your parents and teachers?
No surprises here the usual slap on the wrist for locals is the order of the day…I agree with the comments above this continues to set a dangerous precedent for our young people! no wonder things are getting worse and will continue to do so until standards and responsibilty are encouraged – unfortunately with a Government that refuses to be open and transparent and continues to not issue accounts the example provided is a poor one…
thiefing to do wat? feed ur kids how are u going to feed them now when he got no job
If it is not the politicians, or the corrupt police, now the Judges are letting crimminals off. Looters destroyed my place and the boats along Trellis Bay and the Down Town shops and many other places and absolutely nothing done. This guy caught on film and his han is slapped. DOWN GOES THE BVI
Change your ways young man…even if you didn’t get caught, your actions does not please God. Remember that!
“Yuh gone guh teef ppl tings an still ga pay for um, lose yah job (again) and tarnish yuh name” … “dah mek sense?”
Wise up!
this is really messup!