A Trelawny man, who raided a yam field in the parish more than six months ago, was last Thursday sentenced to a year at hard labour, after being convicted under the Praedial Larceny Act for stealing 80 pounds (36.36 kilograms) of yam.

Oral Walcott of Stettin, Trelawny pleaded guilty and asked for leniency when the case came up for mention in the Ulster Spring Resident Magistrate's (RM).

However, in handing down the 12-month sentence, Resident Magistrate I. Reid told the 25-year-old man, also known as 'Whilby', that she was taking a stance against praedial larceny.

The complainant reported to the police that, on February 14, upon approaching his farm, he saw the accused leaving with a bag atop his head. He hurried to his field where a check revealed that 22 yam hills had been harvested.

Clarke raised an alarm which brought other farmers running, forcing Walcott to drop and run, leaving the bag behind.

The matter was reported to the Ulster Spring Police Station but, by then, the accused had left the district.

However, upon Walcott's return to Stettin, on August 19, the police were alerted to his presence.

A team led by Special Constable Kenroy Bucknor of the Island Special Constabulary Force, mounted an operation and the accused was arrested without incident.

Constable Bucknor has appealed to farmers to report all matters of farm theft to the police.

He told the Weekend Star that the police were being hampered by the failure of farmers to make a formal report in most cases.

He also warned against the practice of people failing to follow through on reports by failing to turn up for court when they realise the theft was committed by a relative or friend.

"Most of the times they compromise the case and don't even tell us. So we waste our time investigating, and the court's time too," he said.