Woman steals paint to buy school shoes

A Corporate Area woman, who confessed to stealing three tins of paint, blamed friends and the devil for leading her astray.

"Me nah do it again, a follow me follow and mek di devil rule me miss," Atasha Brown told Senior Parish Judge Lori-Anne Cole-Montaque yesterday after pleading guilty to simple larceny in the Kingston and St Andrew Parish Court.

"True me babyfada deh a jail, one girl tell me say fi come help her and she will gi me a money fi buy a school shoes. Miss, me just a beg yuh have likkle leniency," Brown, 27, begged.

"So, hold on, you tief the paint fi get money fi buy school shoes?" the judge asked.

It was reported that on September 6, Brown visited a hardware and supplies store on Constant Spring Road in St Andrew. As she tried to exit the store, store supervisors noticed that her bag seemed bulky. Brown complied with the request to have the bag searched and the paint tins were found.

When cautioned, Brown allegedly said, "A nuh my bag, a di next girl give me and tell me fi carry it out. Miss ask the man [manager] if me caah pay for dem nuh miss. Please, me nuh want guh back a jail."

Brown told Cole-Montaque that she would like the opportunity to contact her family to have the money brought to court to pay for the stolen items.

"Miss, me just a beg yuh please. Even if me affi pay for it. Me sorry ma'am, me sorry fi go inna di store. Me wish me coulda tell the manager I am sorry. Miss just make me pay for it please," the defendant begged. However, the court learned that Brown is on bail for housebreaking and larceny and receiving stolen property. That case is currently before the St Catherine Parish Court.

"So, you really think you would get away with it? You cannot leave through the front door today," the judge revealed.

Brown was then remanded in custody until September 23. She was made the subject of a fingerprint order and instructed to have the money available for restitution by the next court date. - T.T.