Magistrate Ayoub Njie, of the Brikama Magistrates’ Court, on Monday, levied a D250 fine and three hours of community service in default to serve one month of imprisonment on one Fatoumatta Camara of Brikama. This was after she pleaded guilty to stealing three pieces of clothing from the tailoring shop of one Alagie Jobe.

Narrating the facts before the court, Police Prosecutor 439 Sambou told the court that the incident happened in the early hours of 14 November, after the convict left her residence and headed for Banjul for business.

According to Sambou, the convict herself told him that upon her arrival at the market, she saw the tailoring workshop open, while the tailor was sleeping inside. He asserted that the convict then entered the shop and picked up the three different pieces of cloth.

“As she was about to leave, another tailor suddenly saw her and called her, but she dropped the plastic bag,” he said.

439 Sambou then explained that when the tailor asked her what she was going to do with the pieces of cloths, she did not give any genuine explanation, but the tailor pretended not to know the content of the plastic bag.

According to him, when the tailor left, he went straight to Mr Jobe’s shop and woke him up to explain to him what he had seen. He concluded that the convict was then followed, apprehended and taken to the Brikama Police Station where she confessed to stealing the said properties.

In her mitigation plea, the convict begged the court to temper justice withmercy. She asserted that she did not do it intentionally and is a responsible mother with three children to feed.

In consideration of the mitigation plea by the convict, Magistrate Njie ordered her to pay a fine of D250 and three hours of community service in default of which she will serve a one month jail term.