The Tribune

By PAVEL BAILEY

Tribune Court Reporter

pbailey@tribunemedia.net

A MAN was sentenced to three months at the Bahamas Department of Correctional Services (BDCS) after admitting to breaking into a woman’s home to steal a laptop he claimed he needed for online classes.

Kelvarno Lightbourne, 22, faced Acting Chief Magistrate Subusola Swain on charges of housebreaking and stealing.

Between 10.30am to 5.30pm on December 7, 2018, the accused broke into Valeria Smith’s residence at Bougainvillea Avenue, off West Bay Street, through the bathroom window.

Once inside, Lighbounrne stole Smith’s $500 white HP laptop.

Police fingerprints recovered from the scene were positively matched to the defendant’s fingerprints resulting in his arrest. Lightbourne initially denied involvement in the break-in. However, in court the accused pleaded guilty to both charges. He said he only stole the laptop after he saw it in a window and grabbed it because he claimed he needed it for school.

He said even though he needed a laptop to complete his online assignments for high school, his family refused to buy him one. He added while he was able to get his high school diploma and intended to return the laptop after his studies, he claimed he couldn’t because the laptop was stolen again.

Lightbourne told the magistrate that he is working and was to compensate Ms Smith for the theft.

Magistrate Swain sentenced him to three months at BDCS for both charges to be served concurrently.

When Lightbourne asked the magistrate for leniency in her sentencing, she said she had already given him a real break. Magistrate Swain informed him she could have sentenced him to five years in prison.