An 18-year-old man was given 18 months probation in the Corporate Area Resident Magistrate's Court yesterday after he broke into a school located in the Kingston 11 area.

Charged with school housebreaking and larceny is Romario Dixon of a Kingston address.

The court heard that on the day of the incident, Dixon and another individual broke into the primary school and removed several items including: computer parts, and football jerseys, valuing $67,000. The men were later accosted and handed over to the police.

church

In court, Resident Magistrate (RM) Judith Pusey asked the young man what church he attended and when he responded, she asked him if he was filled with the Holy Spirit or if he ever spoke in tongues, to which he told her 'no'. She proceeded to tell him that he only went to church to warm the bench.

In his defence, Dixon told the RM that he had no choice to carry out his actions because he was out on the street and was accosted by a man at gunspoint about 10:30 p.m. who forced him into the act. The RM then told him that if he were at home at the time, this would not have happened.

She also told him, "If you stop being a church man and the spirit nuh fill you, I'm going to fill you my way." She subsequently handed the man the probation ordered.