Serial burglar sentenced to over a year in prison

A man who burglarized three business-places last year, Shadrach Thompson, has been sent to Her Majesty’s Prison as punishment.

He received a suspended sentence for one of the crimes, but will serve a year and four months in prison for the other two burglaries.

Senior Magistrate Tamia Richards slapped the Purcell Estate resident with six months imprisonment for burglarising TICO Retail Store, and 10 months jail time for a burglary at Tortola Ice.

The senior magistrate ordered that those sentences run consecutively (one after the other).

In relation to a third burglary, which took place at Imagine Spa, Thompson was sentenced to six months imprisonment suspended for two years. This means that, if he commits another offence within two years of this conviction, he will serve the six-month in prison sentence for this offence.

Magistrate Richards also ordered the offender to pay a total of $2,660 in compensation to the three business owners. Imagine Spa is to be compensated $2,060 while the other two businesses will receive $300 each.

Thompson was ordered to pay the monies within three months of being released from Her Majesty’s Prison.

Meanwhile, it was alleged that Thompson committed two of the crimes with a juvenile. The minor was not in court recently when Thompson was being sentenced.

Police said they lifted the convict’s fingerprints from the crime scenes.

Imagine Spa

The court heard that, on August 15 last year, the owner of Imagine Spa found that her business-place had been burglarised and a $800 laptop stolen.

She reported the incident to the police, who visited the scene and dusted for fingerprints. Thompson was arrested a few days later.

He reportedly denied any involvement in the burglary. However, he willingly gave a sample of his fingerprints to the police, and was then released.

On September 12, police received results that confirmed the prints lifted from the crime scene matched those of the accused. A search warrant was then executed at Thompson’s residence, but the laptop was not found.

When the police cautioned him about the burglary, Thompson reportedly responded: “I know about it.”

He subsequently was arrested.

The court heard that, during another police interview, Thompson said he stole the laptop and hid it in bushes behind Tortola Ice after he realised that the computer was password protected.

He reportedly said he returned to check on the laptop some time afterwards, but realized that it was missing.

TICO Retail Store

The court also heard that Thompson and the juvenile burgled TICO Retail Store and made off with $8.

Police said fingerprints lifted from the store match Thompson’s.

When arrested, he reportedly admitted that he perpetrated the crime. Following another police interview, Thompson and the juvenile were charged.

Tortola Ice

As it relates to the burglary at Tortola Ice, the court heard that Thompson went to the business location and unlocked the main entrance door.

He allegedly stole a cash register and $25.

The court heard that Thompson was already in custody for the other two burglaries when police tied him to the crime committed at Tortola Ice.

He also led law enforcers into bushes where he had hidden the Tortola Ice cash register. Thompson was subsequently charged for all three offences.