Twenty-year-old Jovin Williams of Roseau has told police that anger over stolen items prompted him to cut the back and side doors of a stranger’s bus.
Williams appeared before Chief Magistrate Evelina Baptiste yesterday and pleaded guilty to causing malicious damage to bus registration #383 on River Street on September 5.
According to the prosecutor who presented the facts of the case, the bus was parked outside the owner’s home when the incident occurred. The owner was asleep at the time.
Upon hearing some noise, the complainant went outside and asked Williams, “What’s your problem? What the bus do you?”
Several scratches and dents could be seen at the side and back doors when the defendant was hitting vehicle, according to the prosecutor.
When confronted by police Williams said, “I don’t know about that.”
He later admitted, “Somebody break into my home and take something that was very important to me. I was upset so I take it out on the bus.”
Williams is a repeat offender, according to the court.
Lawyer Dawn Yearwood, who mitigated on Williams’ behalf, said that her client had gone to an event at the Cove on Saturday evening and upon returning home realized that someone had broke and entered into his home and stole his brand new I-pod and two pairs of Nike sneakers.
“They didn’t take money…” the lawyer stated.
Yearwood told the court that her client had smashed his cellphone in his anger then picked up a cutlass. She said that Williams was particularly angry because the I-pod was never used since he did not have electricity in his home to charge it.
“His behaviour was not arbitrary,” Yearwood said, adding that Williams was willing to compensate the owner.
The defendant was fined $1,000 or six months in prison suspended for two years. This means that he is not to get into trouble for the next two years or he will either pay the fine or spend six months in prison.
He was also ordered to pay compensation of $300 by December 4, 2010 or face four months in prison.
Williams is employed as a baker’s assistant and a professional patient at a local medical university, according to his lawyer.
@sweetness:
I can vouche that his items were sent to him by his father who lives in the states. His behaviour is uncalled for, and I will never condone such behavior, but some people just need to keep their sticky fingers to themselves. The same way all you want him to go pay his electricity, the person who stole his items should go look for work to buy his own and leave other people’s belongings to them. Sorry is the bus he meet and not the person. Then his right would have passed for his wrong.
HAHAHAHHAA: ” What the bus do you”… OMG.. Too damn funny
where is the Mayor for Roseau? Why aint there some good projects in town for all the guys who get up daily with nothing to do? This Mayor is indeed the Major of the city…….. Can someone inform the public as to what are the priorities of the City Council.? Instead of so much foolish talk trying to defend the present state of Roseau- Let the people know what are the grand plans for Roseau!
@Smoke: Sign me up. I want to be professionallly patient in a hospital somewhere. lol
@Way Papa: Ok thanks. Just a typo error. anyway thanks.
is this a spelling test?@Way Papa:
All u know how d man get his Ipod and Nike sneakers…the man father lives in the US…how else would he be able to afford it…gosh…certainly not on a baker’s assistant salary…all u too like to give all u piece when u all aint know the full story…
IPOD + 2 NIKE Sneakers, yet no electricity!!!!!!!!!!!!! Is it only me who sees something drastically wrong with this picture?
What are Dominican’s coming to when their wants are leading their needs? I am shaking my head in shame… he can afford the material things, yet a neccessity is unaffordable?
And what’s up with that sentence? Dominica punishments certainly do not fit the crime. What would have happened if the bus driver had lost his self control? Would there be a reverse onus? Would the bus driver then have to defend himself from protecting his property?
And i am confused by the defence lawyer’s statement – “His behavior was not arbitrary!”
Is that because he is a professional patient and the meds are messing with him? Because, otherwise, if this behavior is unaltered by any force, then, this lawyer may need to define arbitrary. Is that kind of behavior inkeeping with Dominican society? Is it natural? Was his behavior not subject to his will? Did it not arise from whim?
His behavior is appalling. For 1 IPOD and 2 Nikes a bus got taken revenge on – what if it was something else which got stolen and he assaulted a person; would it then be a case of wrong place wrong time? Or would it be a case of irrational, negligent behavior? Or would it not be arbitrary at all that he would react in that violent a manner?
If the man had given him a knock out now when he came out and saw him vandalizing he vehicle how much time would he have gotten?
and now @ Watcher: Is “advise” not “advice”.
i really want to no why u have a brand new ipod, 2 pairs of nike snickers and going jam in d cove but yet still cannot afford to connect pay as u go for ur home?????
Man get real and go pay de man his full price for his bus, maybe is well stolen items u had dere or ur mind was not sober as it should be
He has a brand new Ipod and he has never use it because he has no electricity in his home?
Some people are trying to leave way beyound their means.
He can’t afford electricity but he has an Ipod and two pairs of Nike sneakers?
the man damage the person bus cause he was vex and got a suspended sentence and compensation of $300.00.
1. if a man do that to my vehicle should i call the police?
2. should i just take the law in my hands?
3. if i take the law in my hands will i go to jail while that man who mash up my ride roaming the streets?
4. i think i will take the law in my hands cause i know justice will be served and will not mind the price i might have to pay.
5. if mister can do that cause he vex someone stole his ipod and sneakers, what is he capable of doing if something bigger or worse was to happen to him?
6. behavior not arbitrary? i wonder what is the meaning of arbitrary……..maybe you have a different dictionary.
6. its good to see what the lawyer would say if it was her vehicle he did that to.
Just maybe the effects of the drugs being used on him as a guinea pig is kicking in. Is the government aware of the fact that these universities are using our people as “Guinea Pigs?” Is there a treatment/ recovery/ detox program in place to address stress and other issues associated with such programs? What about medical insurance for them? Is the ministry of health actively tracking these programs and have the financial resource in place to take care of these people when these programs are over and the schools are gone?
While I know that Dca is not the only country where folks are used as “professional patients”, I also know that this term can mean a number of things. So, as concerned citizens can we please get an explanation from those in the know as to what does that term mean in Dca? Countries like Nigeria, Angola, Ghana and others on the African continent are paying a serious price after allowing their citizens to be used in secretive programs under similar terms. I am not saying that something is wrong but now that this has come light enquiring minds want to know.
@Smoke: he is being paid to come in to the medical school and the students treat him as they would a real patient.
That is what happens when families break up and they don’t try to mend their children…in my wildest dreams I could not have seen this in the future for this young man…
…and u think that $300 will cover the cost of the body work and the spray job for the victims vehicle???
You call this justice???!!!
what does a professional patient do? i’ve never heard of such a positiion before. someone please enlighten me
what is $300.00 going to do for the bus owner? what kinda madness goin on in this place nuh?
boy that judge must be kiddin…
@de caribbean change: We need to be wise to give counsel to our young persons. We must not take this things for joke. Anger is an evil spirit. Evil spirit come to kill steal and destroy. I know of an individual who got so angry and guess what he went into a coma and eventually died. let us watch what we advice our young persons to do . Those things are not joke. So many angry persons have done things that they regretted later down the line. Let us see how we can advice them to control their anger.
Let us pray for our young men who cannot control their anger and do not put on their thinking cap before acting. Go get some help to manage your anger problem. You need to be at peace so that when trials come, you will be calm which only our Heavenly Father can give to us. We can talk, talk, talk but you need to seek someone who can assist you in your dilema and he is non other than our Father who art in heaven. I do understand that you were disappointed at the theft of your ipod and sneakers, but ask yourself did this give you the right to destroy another persons property. You are so engrossed in your love of material thing – Ipod and sneakers. You need to show that same kind of love (eagerness) to our Father who will protect you and give you all things including love. Do not misinterpret me . I am not saying that the person was right to steal your new ipod and sneakers but my emphasis is on how you reacted and it nearly costed you a jail sentence. Use this is a valuable lesson and try not to react in such a manner anymore.
This advice is to the other young persons who are reading DNO and making derogatory remarks about other persons. Let us be clean in our thinking so our minds will be clean and our hearts can be clean and we can give clean advice to others. Remember we are all sinners and are apt to make mistakes sometimes in our lives. But also remember our Father has forgiven us and sent his son to die for us. So when our brothers/sisters err, it is our responsibility to correct them with love. Yes you are wrong but you can be redeemed and use the mistake as a learning experience. Only those who have developed a personal relationship with our Father can have a different perspective of what is happenning around us. A worldly view is one that is tit for tat, butter for fat. The oe with the wordly view cannot forgive and cannot understand when another does what is right in the Fathers commandment. He is the only righteous judge. When one change from their wicked ways and hate sin, then you can understand well what is happening around you.. the enemy is come to steal, kill and destroy and look who he is attacking .. our young people (especially young men) – our own children. People wake up, prostrate yourself on the floor and pray for the Nation (Leaders in all walks of life) and our children and young persons so the windows of Heaven will open and blessings will abound our Nation.
Yes this is not subjected to Dominica only as someone has rightly said. Young men you need to seek first the Kingdom of the Father and his righteousness and all other things will be added unto you. Seek not the things of this world. They are only for a time and won’t last forever. The kingdom is forever. You have a free mind and free will. Make the right decision. On whose side are you? On the Lords’ or the Enemy ?
What does a proffesional patient do? Pardon me for my failure to know what is it they do!
An angry man is a hungry man. So, Mister, next time you angry, get a pound of rice and a ram goat down the roundabout to cook.
God help us for we are in deep trouble, at the same time we know why jails will never be empty, and why fences are being erected around the premiter of cemetary cause people are dying to go there. read between the lines and get the message our people and it`s not subjected to Dominica only. Sadly some body is going to come on and spoil it with their a………logic. If we do not get quick intervention to arrest this sickness trust me we will not only need more soldiers on deck but sadly we will need more jails to be built and thats the sad part.
professional patient??? How much “de saints” paying him to be their guinea pig???
Well yes! you did that for an ipod?? You should go get some help on your anger problem as soon as possible…