Rasbert Turner, Portmore Star Writer

A Portmore man who used the rental money he was entrusted to collect as an agent of a landlord was given a six-month suspended sentence in the Spanish Town Resident Magistrate's Court recently.

He is Cebert Dickenson, 62 years old, of Greater Portmore in the municipality.

When the matter came up in court, Dickenson handed over the collected money to the complainant in the matter in an effort to help his case.

Resident Magistrate Simone Wolfe-Reece told the accused that he needed to change his ways. "You have taken a chance and you got caught. you must realise that the Government accommodation is not good for you," Wolfe-Reece told the elderly man.

Clerk of courts Genetta Smikle told the court that the accused collected rent money totalling $70,500 on behalf of the complainant.

He used the money for his own purposes instead of handing it over to the complainant as expected.

The police were contacted and following an investigation, Dickenson was charged with obtaining money by means of false pretence.