Guard who robbed senior citizen gets suspended sentence

A security guard who stole almost $200,000 from a senior citizen's bank account, in his own plea mitigation on Tuesday, begged a senior parish judge not to send him to prison as he is the sole caregiver of his two young sons.

Charles White pleaded guilty last November to simple larceny and access with intent to commit or facilitate the commission of an offence.

"What would you like to say before I sentence you?" Senior Parish Judge Lori-Anne Cole-Montaque asked White, who had no legal representation.

"Your Honour, my children mother leave town gone country and me a take care a two likkle boy. Is me alone wid dem," the 54-year-old said.

It was shared in the Kingston and St Andrew Parish Court that on October 25, White, who was posted at a financial institution in downtown Kingston, was approached by the complainant, an elderly woman, who expressed difficulty in making a withdrawal. She shared her personal identification number with White, who conducted the transaction for her and handed over the monies. He did not, however, return the bank card. White subsequently withdrew $190,000 from the complainant's account.

He indicated to the court that he made restitution of $250,000.

Judge Cole-Montaque imposed a sentence of six months' imprisonment at hard labour suspended for 18 months for simple larceny. White was sentenced to probation for one year for the charge of access with intent to commit or facilitate the commission of an offence.