Zephaniah Wright, aka 'Zephi', 34, of Sanguinetti in Clarendon who pleaded guilty to praedial larceny when he appeared in the Mandeville Resident Magistrate's Court on December 19, was granted bail with his own surety when he returned for sentencing last week.

Wright was charged after he stole a cow last year.

Resident Magistrate Desrene Alleyne granted Wright $40,000 bail in his own surety, and asked him to surrender his travel documents. The Clarendon man is to return to court on May 8 for sentencing. He was told to take the money to repay the owner for the animal on that date. The animal was said to value $120,000. It was reportedly sold to a purchaser in Mile Gully, Manchester.

The Spaldings police who investigated the matter reported that Wright was not the only one behind the stealing of the animal, as a woman who uses a number of different names, including Violet Burton-Johnson and Rose Richards was said to be the mastermind behind a cow stealing ring and other crimes committed in sections of Clarendon and Manchester.

The police also reported that the stealing of the cow was the fifth reported case of cow stealing committed in the Sanguinetti community during the period. Several goats were also reported stolen from the community over several weeks.