Rasbert Turner, Star Writer

A St Catherine woman who pleaded guilty to fraud charges, wept after she was given a suspended sentence in the Old Harbour Resident Magistrate's Court on Friday.

She is Stacey-Ann Moore otherwise called Elizabeth Shoucair of Old Harbour.

When the matter came up before Resident Magistrate Horace Mitchell, Moore's attoney, Herbert McKenzie, made an impassioned plea for a non-custodial sentence.

He told the court that the accused did not received any money, she has been forthright in her plea and deserved a non-custodial sentence having spent nine months in custody.

Moore was then given three months suspended sentence for possession of and uttering revenue paper. The Crown withdrew two counts of forgery against the accused.

The court was told that in April last year the accused went to the Old Harbour branch of National Commercial Bank. She tendered a cheque valued at $48,000 said to be on the Jamaica Agricultural Society's Pimento account. She identified herself as Elizabeth Shoucair.

Personnel perused the document and observed that it was fictitious and called the police.

An investigation was launched and Moore was arrested and charged with fraud by Detective Corporal Andre Smith of the Old Harbour police.