The Tribune

By Lamech Johnson

THOMAS Rigby, the man who admitted causing more than $1M damage to the new airport road, has this afternoon been sentenced to 16 months at Her Majesty's Prison.

Though Rigby, 53, faced up to two years imprisonment for the charge of damage, Chief Magistrate Joyanne Ferguson-Pratt considered his early guilty plea before trial.

She further said he would do two years of community service with the Department of Rehabilitative Services.

Failure to do so will land him an extra seven months in jail.

Thomas Alexander Rigby, of Watling Street, was charged with intentionally damaging 8,700 feet of surface material valued at $1,211,396.67, the property of the Bahamas government, between July 6 and July 12.

He pleaded not guilty on July 18 and was denied bail after the prosecution objected in the best interest of the public.

On his return to court on August 8, ahead of his September 16 trial, Rigby pleaded guilty to the charge and said he was aware that what he did was wrong and that he caused embarrassment for the government.