WESTERN BUREAU:

A St James couple arrested for illegally extracting electricity from the Jamaica Public Service Company (JPS) was offered bail in the combined sum of $400,000 in the Montego Bay Resident Magistrate's Court on Thursday.

Tarik Bucknor, 28, and 27-year-old Jessica Riley, from Westgate Hills, are jointly charged with illegal extraction of electricity, and return to court on May 15.

Allegations are that on March 27, Bucknor and Riley were at home when a police team, conducting an operation in the area, came to the couple's premises. The police noticed several illegally connected electrical wires at the house and summoned JPS representatives.

When cautioned, Bucknor reportedly said, "Officer, a me connect the wire, leave my woman out of it," and both of them were subsequently arrested and charged.

The couple's attorney Martyn Thomas made a successful bail application before Resident Magistrate Carolyn Tai.

"Mr Bucknor is the father of two young children and has no previous convictions, and he takes issue with the allegations. Miss Riley is the mother of one child," said Thomas. "There is nothing to suggest that they are a flight risk."

"Do they have travel documents?" asked RM Tai.

"They do, but the documents are already in the custody of the police," said Thomas.

"I am going to offer them bail, each in the sum of $200,000 with one or two sureties, and they are to report to the Mount Salem police every Monday, Wednesday and Friday between 7 a.m. and 7 p.m.," said RM Tai.