By FARRAH JOHNSON
Tribune Staff Reporter
fjohnson@tribunemedia.net
A 43-year-old woman was fined $500 after she admitted stealing from a children’s home where she worked last month to help pay her rent.
Jenny Mae Mott was accused of stealing a $150 donation from the Bahamas Children’s Emergency Hostel on August 26.
She pleaded guilty during a hearing before Senior Magistrate Derence Rolle-Davis yesterday.
The court heard on the day in question, the hostel’s supervisor received a call from one of the cooks who told her a man had made a donation to the facility.
When she asked Mott about it, who worked as a child caretaker at the short-term home facility, she denied receiving the donation. The prosecution heard the supervisor then viewed the hostel’s video footage and watched the man give Mott the money. Since Mott never turned in the funds and denied collecting the same, the supervisor requested police action. An investigation into the matter led to Mott’s arrest. In an interview with police, she admitted to the offence and said she did not record the donation in the hostel’s log book because she intended to use the money to help pay her rent.
When given an opportunity to speak, Mott told the magistrate she needed an extra $50 to go towards her rent payment and said she and two other employees decided to steal the money and split it among themselves.
After listening to her explanation, Magistrate Rolle-Davis said she was in a position of trust where her employers expected her to be honest. As a result, he fined her $500 or three months at the Bahamas Department of Correctional Services.
During the hearing, Mott was charged with Karen Sands, 46, who was accused of receiving the stolen donation on August 27.
That woman denied the allegation and her matter was adjourned to November 9 for trial. She was granted $1,500 bail in the interim.
The two were charged with Samantha Hart, 37, who had a warrant of arrest issued for her after she failed to appear in court.
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