February 24 trial for alleged bus thief

WESTERN BUREAU:A St Catherine man who was held by the police while driving a bus that was reportedly stolen in St James, was remanded in custody when he appeared before the Montego Bay Resident Magistrate's Court on Tuesday.

The allegations are that on January 29, at approximately 10 p.m. the complainant, Ricardo Henry, drove his Toyota minibus to Platon Heights in St James where be parked it, only to discover it was missing the next morning. A report was made to the Mount Salem police, who sent out information to track down the bus.

The vehicle was eventually located in Riversdale, St Catherine, where one Kevin Smith was reportedly seen driving it. He has been taken into custody by the police in that parish, and was later brought to Montego Bay on January 30.

In giving his side of the story on Tuesday, Smith told Resident Magistrate Carolyn Tie that he had been given the bus to drive and that he did not know it was stolen.

"Is a man give me the vehicle to drive, a man named 'Kereth'. He asked me to move it from Williams Hill to Riversdale," said Smith.

"So what is he to you?" asked RM Tie.

"Nothing, miss. I've seen him a couple of times," Smith admitted.

"Since you are saying that you did not know the vehicle was stolen, the case will have to be tried," RM Tie told him.

"This case is set for trial on February 24. You will be brought back on that day," RM Tie told Smith, before he was handcuffed and taken back into custody.

- C.T.