A St Andrew farmer, who was caught by the police helping himself to a bag of coffee beans from a farm in the Blue Mountains, was sentenced to nine months in prison.
The sentence was handed down by Senior Magistrate Judith Pusey last Friday when Wade Silvera appeared in the Corporate Area Resident Magistrate’s Court for sentencing.
The 34-year-old resident of Brandon Hill had pleaded guilty to praedial larceny in October when he first appeared in court and his bail was extended for him to return.
Silvera was caught by the owner of the farm and the police in October picking coffee valued at $20,000.
On Friday before the farmer was sentenced, his lawyer Kymberli Whittaker told the court that he was remorseful and begged for a non-custodial sentence.
«Why he shouldn’t do a year for it, it takes a year for the coffee to grow?» Pusey said. «You know how much coffee beans it take to full a bag?
«I don’t believe one person in Jamaica would be offended, not even himself would be offended,» she added.
Whittaker, however, urged the magistrate to consider a non-custodial sentence, noting that her client was willing to make restitution and to give back to his community.
But Magistrate Pusey replied, saying, «I am giving him nine months, I take off three months because he is a first-time offender, he pleaded guilty and the man got back his coffee.»
The court heard that, on the day in question, the manager of the Andover Blue Mountain Coffee Farm went to his farm about 11:00 am and saw Silvera picking his coffee.
The manager went to get the assistance of the police in arresting Silvera.
The police went to the farm and sneaked up beside Silvera, who was picking coffee beans and putting them in the front of his T-shirt.
Source: jamaicaobserver.com/news/Farmer-gets-nine-months-for-stealing-coffee-beans_19240102
