Teen gets one year for stealing, torching scooter

James Leonard Jr. Photo retrieved from Facebook

James Leonard Jr, who was convicted for stealing and torching another man’s motor scooter, has been sentenced to 12 months in prison.

Senior Magistrate Tamia Richards also ordered the 19-year-old offender to pay $2,000 in compensation to the scooted owner within three months after being released from the correctional facility.

The order apparently did not sit well with Leonard.

He did not understand why he was being imprisoned and told to pay money too.

“If I go to jail me ain’t paying the you know,” he declared in court.

Meanwhile, in explaining why she made the order, Magistrate Richards said Leonard has not been rehabilitated from sentences he received for previous convictions.

It was said in court this week that the youngster was previously convicted for theft, burglary, drug possession, and criminal damage.

The offender told the court that, in relation to the latest sentence, he only was interested in returning to Her Majesty’s Prison expeditiously – not in making any payment.

“All I care about is that I get up there (Her Majesty’s Prison) before 2’ o clock you know, because me ain’t want to be here [in court] all day,” Leonard said.

Reports are that, on December 11 last year, the complainant in the matter left his scooter by his father’s business-place in Road Town.

Leonard and another person stole the scooter under the cover of night. They reportedly relocated it and set it ablaze.

According to court records, Leonard stated that it was stupid of him to commit the offence.

He reportedly explained during a previous court appearance that he committed the offence to get back at the complainant.

The court was told that Leonard was upset that the complainant had accused him of breaking into his father’s business-place.

In the meantime, Senior Magistrate Richards this week fined Leonard $1,000 for another offence – possession of 1.4 grams of marijuana.

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