Most criminals would not have had the privilege, but well known vagrant Patrickson “Gravity” Moses was given the opportunity to advise a Roseau magistrate on what he thought was a suitable punishment for his latest theft offense when he appeared at a court on Monday.
“Four months (prison) Miss?” he asked Chief Magistrate Evelina Baptiste, invoking a number of chuckles from those sitting in the gallery.
“That’s not enough,” the magistrate replied.
“OK, six months Miss?” Moses suggested smiling. After his request was once again rejected Moses conceded, “OK, whatever you do Miss, is you. My teeth coming out wee.”
Two days before, Moses had stolen a back pack belonging to a Dominica Water and Sewerage Company (DOWASCO) security guard while he was on duty. The defendant pleaded guilty to the theft on Monday.
On hearing that he was sentenced to 12 months in prison Moses asked the magistrate, “When you say 12 months, how much time I have to (really) make up there?”
The facts of the case were presented by Chief Prosecutor Acting Assistant Superintendent of Police Claude Weekes.
According to the Weekes, Moses stole the bag, which contained a silver chain and handcuffs, at about 3:15 a.m. on October 15.
This occurred while the security officer patrolled the DOWASCO compound. The bag had been placed in a security booth at the establishment and the total cost of the stolen items was $590. Only the back pack was recovered.
Before passing sentence, Baptiste frowned on the lack of drug rehabilitation facilities in the country stating, “He has gotten the short end of the stick. We don’t know what to do with him. A prison sentence cannot help him. But at least he has a meal and a roof over his head.”
“He probably needs a warm drink on Independence and on Christmas and on New Year’s,” she added.
Weekes also took the opportunity to support Baptiste’s call for a rehabilitation facility.
“It’s sad. It’s a poor reflection on our society. We’re only concerned when he misbehaves,” he said.
The prosecutor also spoke against persons who launch unnecessary physical attacks on Moses. “We say we are a Christian society but we do otherwise.”
Everything said about Gravity is true,but the sickening truth is the behavior of the police. And the general public shame on all of you. The police coward to lash the coke dealers and the murderers, but oh how big and brave to beat Gravity. And the court is sickening also, I admit what he said deserves a chuckle but how can you expect people to respect the court when they disrespect themselves. Gravity is not a clown and the court room is not for entertainment. Gravity is not the criminal per say the system has failed him and many many others just like him. Gravity has carried parcels and run up and down to purchase things for me. He had every chance to run off with my things but he never did time and time again. I gave him food and money whenever I saw him, he was always polite calling me Jenny{ not my name.} Maybe a peace corp worker or someone looking like me that was kind to him. The point is if you treat a man like an Animal what do you expect him to act like? Months would pass and I never saw him? He would return and I ask Gravity what happen to you? As he had soars and lashes and Christ knows what other injuries inflicted on him. Not Dog bites! People did this to him! Police given the job to protect people. He would even admit he stole a gas cylinder, he is no fool. Just mentally ill and addicted to drugs. We are all brothers and sisters in the name of God I pray for you Dominicans. Enjoy all the nice things at Christmas sing in church, have a little party. But remember it’s the poor the meak and vunerable that will enter the Kingdom of God.
RAPE A CHILD YOUR REWARD IS GOOD PRAISE KILL A MAN THEY SENDING YOU TO KILL AGAIN.
i know gravity for a few years now and all he needs is HELP.. we sometimes take serious issues as jokes when they are not”””i am not saying that i did not lol at this matter because i went down flat” people like gravity are the ones who believe that their lives depend on drugs.. they have no none so the will do whatever it takes to get drugs.. if something is put in place for people like gravity there will surely be a change.just take a look at him a few minutes after his sentence and see the difference three hours after he getting meg in a split second when he on government road… think that they should keep him in jail for some time let him get some good rehabilitation despite the fact that he askes”how much time ireally have to make up there”????/
The first part of this topic is funny, informing the magistrate how much time he should spend in prison. I had to laugh. Only in DA you say?
However, the poor man. He really needs help. I sense that he is crying out for help. He appears to be a fairly intelligent man.
An equipped rehabilitation centre is necessary to assist people like him. He should have received rehabilitation a long time ago but DA has no such facility. Government are you hearing, reading and listening?
Please fellow Dominicans, those of you who attack this man, cease this. It is not Christian-like. God frowns on your actions. He is a child of God just as much as you are.
As a child I knew a few people who were handicapped. In those days they were called retarded. Today they are called the disabled and physically/mentally challenged be it that it is a speech impediment.
Whenever I would pass one especially whom I knew and her family, I would always greet her and ask her how she was. There were times she was alone. In her own way she would answer. There were other children who would make fun of her.
My parents would not tolerate their children making fun of anyone who is handicapped in any way. This includes the elderly. In fact considering the manner in which we were nurtured, the thought would never cross our mind. We were ever compassionate to the vulnerable. Today, I continue to practice it, always offering a helping hand if necessary including a word of kindness and encouragement.
If you laugh at this man or others like him and you attack him, know that God has taken note of your actions. It is not fun to do and God is not amused.
Pay attention to these words of advice for your own sake. If you do not yet have children, you will in time. This should also cause you to always be kind to others. We never know what will happen to us in the future and as we age. It is sad that some people do not give this a thought.
Boy look kicks, if you think Dominica is not the best place on earth to live think again you maybe nuts. Tell Mat them Dominica is much more than the PM is a follar on Q every morning we getting fed up of them.
rehabs dont usually work, check the stats, anyways its time for the boy to get free dental so he going up storcky. i think this man is a schizophreniac that was drawn into marijuana by his mental illness, cause from young he acted strange. i think dr benjamin need to assess him well and start him on treatment, then when he is stable release him into family care….he got another brother who also has a mental disorder but at least he is stable. Gravity must have 3 brothers here, his dad lives overseas, but if treated and con trolled he may be able to stay with his relatives in castle bruce. i think he is mad, and desperately needs pyschiatric help.he used the marijuana to control his distortions, just to now be in a distortedly high world
All joke aside, cause real;ly this is not a laughing matter. We all know gravity is not well that is why he do what he do. But yet still he is going to serve his time but remember he is not normal. We have normal, must cases educated young men killing and it is perfectly ok, since more than 95% of them walk free. >>….>>… Lets give that some thought.
Why go spend four years at University when one can simply follow GRAVITY’s foot step and become an honorary judge where living in expenses, medical, and entertainment are all paid for by government and tax payers. That’s a dream job – way to go GRAVITY.
GRAVITY is a swell guy- Although the judge was willing to be more generous , Gravity took into consideration the state of our economy and selected only 4 months of paid vacation; That is a true patriotic Dominican.
Classic – “Volere Volais Volerre “
DA is the best – Certain individuals can direct the AG, ministers for legal affairs, Judges , magistrates and police commissioner but even better Gravity can get to choose his sentence. Gravity have more clout than a senior counsel man- Wow .
My sources told me that after asking the magistrate how long will his stay be gravity ask wat time it is and that he might miss lunch time at stock farm . I heard he said. “Make haste your honor make haste nuh o dog want to miss lunch”
lol lol lmao
Cases like these show us the need for proper rehab centers. He is going into withdrawal in prison and no proper treatment to ensure that he doesn’t get back on coke.
On the matter of the security guard, please fire him cause i would not want to be in an institution and he is the one looking over me and other customers.
we need a rehab center and a Juvenile center. it could be an investment for the country. We could provide the rehab service for our locals and to our neighboring islands.
MR WAS SLEEPING BOY OR ON HIS FONE AND GRAVITY SNEAK UP ON HIM (YOU DOH HEARING HIS NAME) SHAME HE SHAME I HOPE HE DIDNT BEAT UP THE BOY FOR HIS CHAIN AND THEN STILL MAKE THEM ARREST THE MAN
If the magistrate knew all along how much time she was going to sentence the man to, why the heck was she playing with him? Was thins some kind of sick joke?
Gravity is the boss. What kind of security guard is on duty, handcuffs in bag and gets robbed by Gravity of all people no guns to his head? He is the one that should be stocky for being an idiot.
Gravity is the best ..” “When you say 12 months, how much time I have to (really) make up there?”
The security is on patrol and his cuffs are in his bag somewhere. Gravity should have handcuff the security officer himself.
To those doubters – Dominica is real paradise – people are getting to select their sentence.
The government must now employ guys like GRAVITY to help with the bag log of cases- let gravity issue sentences. After all the man is experienced in the field. As soon as gravity gravity get back from vacation we the people should ask him to do some pro bono work- show Tony Astaphan and Alick how to be genuine patriots.
“AT LEAST HE IS GETTING A MEAL AND A ROOF OVER HIS HEAD.” IS THAT ALL, WHAT ABOUT A WOOD IN HIS ASS….
The security guard should be fired!!!
that security guard should be fired..he lucky gravity didnt use the handcuff to shackle him..a man patrolling and his handcuff in a bag in the security boof. what a joke. lmao
hhehehehehe whats a thing huh? poor gravity well he is better off in jail than walking th estreets. i agree with the magistrate. job well done maam. by the way that security man is a joker because u cannot have your working equipments closed in a bag. supposed it was another criminal he would be in deep shit lol gravity go eat your hot meals u hear boy you might just end up making music in jail. lololololololololololol
gravity fence that more low eh…….who for the police to arrest they not arresting at all……bt anywaz gravity u will have a good independence,christmas n open a good year…….
Why go spend four years at University when one can simply follow GRAVITY’s foot step and become an honorary judge where living in expenses, medical, and entertainment are all paid for by government and tax payers. That’s a dream job – way to go GRAVITY.
GRAVITY is a swell guy- Although the judge was willing to be more generous , Gravity took into consideration the state of our economy and selected only 3 months of paid vacation; That is a true patriotic Dominican.
We need a place to put all them people that just harassing peoples life
@anonymous i agree with you on that one.how u guarding and ure bag got stollen so if u cannot protect ure bag……………..wat are you guarding????????????????????????????????
MR pm with all the drug money that was confiscated over all the years by now a rehab system should be in place or in the works its so sad to see grown me i looked up to growing up on crack wich is thier own doing with a rehab center at least 5 would mabe make it back.
‘GRAVITY’…poor Gravity…I just hope the wicked policemen did not beat him up again as they did some years back . I remember some years ago being back on the island, decided to take a walk on the bayfront. A couple hoteliers complained that Gravity stole their wallet, the cops were called in and instead of them asking him about the matter, they started punching, kicking the poor man in his stomach , face etc and at the same time they kept laughing and saying you going to get more. We were so shocked at what was going on, decided to step in and plead on his behalf ( because no living being needs this sort of treatment). And, you know what they told us …” hey you not in America, if you want to get yours just come”. There were at least six(6) policemen. They drove off with Gravity and that was the end of it.
Poor Gravity Indeed! Where is his family? And we know what going to happen to him when he reach in the cell. Family of Patrickson Moses where are you? Help your brother.
aima moses the musician is his brother
poor gravity!, let me tell you if dis man, come across you and you have sum ting he want, he will try and take it, de man constantly gets beaten, not just by police but by most people, i have seen police beat this man, on a morning when he was found with his private part in his hand, masturbating outside de school, one of those off duty ssu officer driving pass stop his car and get out and lash gravity, if de man didnt like de beatings then he would stop his nonsense, me i think its time drug rehabilitation was standard in stock farm, and get rid of de chinese as it is dem that bring harder drugs to DA, when it was weed it was bad, but god help us now de chink and chavez boys bring de white stuff, it just getting worse.
The guy is sick and needs help, not beating. Normal people touch their private parts and masturbate much less for someone who is insane. He does not like being beaten but what else can he do knowing very well that’s what he is going to get. Someone in Gravity’s condition should be placed in a rehab center. There are folks who are just too wicked. God watches the good and the wicked
really well i personally do not want my young children going into de school, seeing gravity doing dis at de gates, and yes i happy de officer beat de guy cos it show de children it is wrong to doin publicm
amen
That security guard needs to be fired.
PM a rehab centre needed now. Next project OK
I couldn’t agree with you more than that!
only on thing,why is it the pm or government,always got to do things for dominica,where is the private sector,where are the people who has dominica’s interest at heart,what about the motto,that says is not what your country can do for you,is what you can do for your country,why is the development of dominca so heavy handed,placed squarely on the shoulder of the establishment what about all these large business owners who make all that large profits around christmass,carnival,and every festive time,what are they contributing to the islands development,is it not that one hand can’t clap,it takes two,take a look around people lets do some real hard thinking.
You really want to know? Well you will be pleasantly surprised to know that some of those big businesses really do want to help and have been making the efforts but guess what the very same government you want to defend so quickly and the Roseau city council (useless establishment) put up “road blocks” if you know what that means and try to railroad these efforts to take the credit themselves and then complain the private sector is doing nothing. Maybe you can ask Mr. T Astaphan what community service his company is providing as a private sector company. I haven’t seen any bus stop or tree planting scheme in the name of JAstaphan & Co. yet, have you? So before you take us to task as private sector companies on what we can do for our country ask your government to give us some breathing space let us do our bit. Can you manage that?
well when we allocate 27 mil to a statehouse that hardly any of us or our children will spend a night in, and we sideline our hospital, prisons and every other wanting sector of our society what do we expect??? when the very same administration are burdening the private sector to compete with foreign investors who are receiving all sort of concessions, what do we expect… Have you heard of concessions being given to the private sector businesses? yet you expect them to yoke their already burdened budgets with our problems??? if i was a business man i would say, since your government doesn’t see the need, and the people don’t see a need to make demands from their elected representatives, who are we to intervene???? let the chinese, hatian and spanish business owners intervene..
I was wondering why you saying that, but I have to agree with you here. If he is on duty and persons are robbing him and get away, then it questions the job he is actually. It would appear that he is equivalent to a mannequin.
I bet he was sleeping rather than on patrol!!
Did the person rob him and get away? or is there another part of this news item that I am not seeing?
just cant believe that things which are urgent and important are not being taken seriously in this country. a rehab centre should be priority on any gov’t agenda but i guess it’s not that important.alas!!!!