Twenty-nine-year-old Ben Darroux of Portsmouth was sentenced to jail for six years today after a jury of nine women found him guilty of burglary.
Darroux, a repeat offender, told the High Court this morning that he was innocent of the crime.
According to the facts of the case, Darroux broke and entered into the home of Allan Bruney at River Estate in Canefield on August 26, 2008.
He stole items and money amounting to $3,352 including a gold chain with pendant, a silver necklace, a pair of gold earrings, a ladies watch, a spa bath set, a flashlight with a small cigarette lighter attached to it, four bottles of Heineken beer, a box of bananas, Crix Crackers Biscuits, an empty beer crate, US$40, CAN$100 and EC$25.
Darroux was accompanied by Alixford Bunche of Cochrane, a 32-year-old man who was convicted of indecent assault and given a three-year sentence last week. Bunche, was jointly charged with Darroux today and received a two-year sentence for burglary.
Bruney, a retired civil servant, told the court that on the day of the incident he left home at 9:00 a.m. to go to his garden in Cochrane while his wifeleft at 7:00 a.m. to go to Calibishie.
His yard is fenced with wire and his house has three entrance doors, all of which have tower bolts.
“I made sure the tower bolts were fastened; everywhere was locked … I walked with a key,” Bruney told the court.
Upon his return home at 4:00 p.m., he met the house in a ‘topsy turvy’ condition.
“Everything was in a mess. I looked around and went to another room and noticed the draws were pulled and wardrobe opened … I went to the kitchen and noticed the door broken,” Bruney recalled.
His wife arrived shortly after and together they made an assessment of what was missing before taking the matter to the police.
On September 9, 2008 police officers attached to the Criminal Investigations Department brought Darroux to the Bruney’s home. Bruney told the court that it was then that Darroux apologized to him for unlawfully entering his home.
Darroux, who was not represented by a lawyer, told the court under cross examination that he never admitted nor apologized for the crime. He further accused the investigating officers of “brutalizing” him, an accusation the officers vehemently denied on the stand.
“From day one I met you, you was brutalizing me, and from day one I told you I didn’t know anything about that,” Darroux alleged in his cross examination of one of the investigating officers.
“Can you tell the court why I couldn’t see a doctor? Why you and your friends were brutalizing me?”
Meanwhile, according to the police, although he first denied any knowledge of the crime, Darroux later admitted his involvement upon being questioned by police at the CID.
“I agree is me that take it… I meet mister River Street and he tell me he have to go Guadeloupe and he want money and he know a place… I went with him. He that know the spot,” Darroux said at that time, referring to his co-conspirator Alixford Bunche.
Following a unanimous guilty verdict, Judge Cottle declared he was not surprised, considering the evidence against Darroux.
Darroux, who has a seven-year-old son, has a long list of convictions dominated by theft and drug charges dating back to 1995.
“What example are you setting for your son? Do you want your son to be like you? … Hopefully he will have a better role model to follow,” Cottle remarked, to which Darroux replied, “I don’t think so, sir.”
In response to a request from Darroux, the judge agreed to make a recommendation for him to receive counseling services while incarcerated.
“I think that’s an excellent idea … I’ll make recommendation … because you can’t keep coming back here,” Cottle told him.
Bunche was transported from the state prison to the High Court to hear his sentence. Just last week he was sentenced to three years for indecent assault. He was not put on trial for the burglary charge since he had already pleaded guilty last week.
well say they man living in Tan Tan, possie doh have any Darouxs, all paro coming out where they comout and since they get a little shelta in possie they staying, its has now become necessary for us to weed them out of possie, all paro and criminals that walking the streets of possie are not from here, you can count possie paros on your one hand……… Ian is time for us to get rid of those people dere once and for all, clean up our beautiful town
Ben was born in gwada and grew up with his grand parents in Tan Tan. I grew up with him and his brothers and they are all the same. his brother was convicted of the murder of the Bense lady that was shot in her Son house. These boys need to be locked up for good. They are a danger to our community. I hope that one day they will try to change but for now counseling will not do nothing for him. Its a trend that i see with this family…..One day in…next day out…..they don’t care…all they say is that we tax payers will feed them….such a disgrace….
Where the person originally comes from is of little importance.
I totally agree with Admin.
good point Porsie..cause that name sounds familiar and i am thinking he is actually from my village.
6 years for burglary but 3 yrs for kidnapping & burglary those judges/magistrates need blows
Is this person really from Portsmouth, i would be happy when news are being reported that the persons writing or doing the investigations, find out where those people are from. Too many times communities get blame for people that do not even belong to those communities. thank u
ADMIN: Too many times readers get confused about the address and the origins of a person. When a story says a man from Portsmouth, it does not necessarily means the man is originally from Portsmouth, it means that where the person resides currently. It is insignificant as to where the man originally is from. Stories only deal with where the man currently resides unless it is a matter of nationality. Sometimes folks tell us the man’s address is wrong, simply because he was not born or grew up from that community. But we write, as I said, from the angle that he is from that community because THAT’S WHERE HE LIVES. When the law is prosecuting a man, it is not necessarily interested in the community the man originated. The court needs to know where the man lives. If the man commits a crime in Portsmouth, and he is a resident there, that’s technically where he is from technically.
wow. hope they’ll also come down heavy on those venezuelans they caught with drugs in d/a.