A man who confessed that he was influenced to commit robbery was fined $30,000 or three months' imprisonment in the Corporate Area Resident Magistrates Court on Friday.

Charged with larceny from the person is Rudolph Atkinson.

The court heard that on the day in question, Atkinson grabbed the complainant's cell phone while she stood at a bus stop talking on the device. Atkinson did not hesitate when he was asked to plea. He pleaded guilty and offered an explanation.

The court was told that after Atkinson grabbed the phone, the female raised an alarm. He was subsequently held by residents who extracted their own justice.

In explaining, Atkinson said, "Your Honour, after that, dem mob me and rob me too enuh ... dem take mi chain and my phone."

Atkinson continued, "Your Honour, is influence I get influence to do it enuh. Somebody stole my phone and I tried to call it and wasn't getting through. So mi friend say to mi, why don't I go and steal a phone, and then I took a draw from a spliff. I don't know what came over me and I went to steal the phone. But mi drop it after, your Honour, and run."

Atkinson told the court that he was not aware what type of phone the complainant had because her effective alarm caused him to drop the phone.

A fingerprint order was made against Atkinson.