A man who found a BlackBerry cell phone then negotiated with the owner to obtain cash to have it returned was sentenced to nine months' imprisonment on Friday in the Corporate Area Resident Magistrate's Court.

Charged with extortion and larceny is 42-year-old Clifton Walcott. Walcott pleaded guilty to extortion, but not guilty to larceny.

The court heard that Walcott made an unwanted demand on the complainant to obtain money from him. Walcott, in his defence, told Senior Resident Magistrate Judith Pusey that it was the complainant who made an offer and he accepted it.

He said, "Your Honour, on my way to work while riding my bicycle, I found the phone. I did not turn it off or nothing. The person called and said this is my phone, so I said yes because I found it. Your Honour, him call mi from seven inna di morning until mi leave work five ... Him say how much money mi want from him, seeing that I am going to return the phone."

Walcott said they agreed that $5,000 was to be paid over for the phone.

He said, "Your Honour, if him did even give mi $1,000, I would give him back the phone."

The court heard that when Walcott met with the complainant, he was accosted by several police personnel who charged him for theft.

Walcott was sentenced after he declared he was convicted twice before.