A man who was caught trying to steal two manhole covers from the Boulevard Shopping Centre was yesterday sentenced to six months in prison at hard labour after pleading guilty with explanation in the Corporate Area Resident Magistrate's Court.

The man, Charles Williams - along with his alleged accomplice, Trevor Mattis - was held by security guards at the shopping centre as they attempted to leave the premises with the manhole covers in a van driven by Williams.

A representative of the Boulevard Super Centre told Resident Magistrate Judith Pusey that his employers had lost a number of manholes over the last month and was faced with a cost of $38,000 to replace them.

The representative alleged that Mattis was known to employees of the shopping centre.

"This man has been coming around the place for some time and we even give him food. The covers have been going missing and we are relieved that we caught them," the representative said.

Mattis pleaded not guilty to a charge of larceny and told the court that he cleaned up several stores in the plaza and had no knowledge that the manhole covers were in the vehicle. He said he was going to fetch some ackees for a woman in the plaza when the vehicle was stopped by security guards and the manhole covers were found.

Williams also denied knowing that the manhole covers were inside the vehicle.

"This man hired me to pick up things over there. When we arrived I left to eat lunch and when I came back he said he was ready. I never knew they were in there," he said.
But RM Pusey would have none of it.

"Come better than that. A man hire you to pick up goods and when you leaving you don't know what is in the vehicle? I am no fool," the magistrate said.

She then ordered that Williams pay for his crime by serving the six-month sentence. Mattis will know his fate after a trial which will begin in the night court next week.

"You see since dem bring in this scrap metal ting," RM Pusey remarked yesterday.

The demand for scrap metal has risen sharply since earlier this year and several companies, including the Jamaica Public Service Company, have lost thousands of dollars worth of metal during and after the passage of Hurricane Dean last month. Bauxite company Windalco has also lost thousands of feet of railway lines to thieves since the start of the year.

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