Christopher Thomas, STAR Writer

WESTERN BUREAU:

A St James man, who broke into a school and stole a computer and food valued at $50,000, was sentenced to two years behind bars when he appeared in the Montego Bay Resident Magistrate's Court on Tuesday.

Fifty-two-year-old Dalton Spence, of a Montego Bay address, pleaded guilty to schoolhouse-breaking and larceny.

The facts are that between March 8 and 10, Spence broke into the school, which is located along Vernon Drive in Mount Salem, Montego Bay, and stole a computer, several packs of Lasco drink mix, and chicken.

"Do you have the $50,000 to pay for the things?" Resident Magistrate Wilson Smith asked Spence in court.

"No, Sir," said Spence.

"Have you ever been in trouble before?" asked RM Smith.

"No, Sir," replied Spence.

But Clerk of the Court Natalie Malcolm interjected at that point to inform the magistrate that Spence had previously been before the court on similar charges.

"He (Spence) is a frequent visitor to this court, and up to last week he was here," said Malcolm.

The clearly displeased RM Smith harshly condemned Spence for his untruthfulness.

"You are not truthful, I asked you if you've ever been in trouble before and you said no. You should know better than that, the sentence is two years' imprisonment at hard labour," said the magistrate, before Spence was eventually handcuffed and led out of the courtroom.