Maxwell Western Wilson was sentenced to 30 days in prison after pleading guilty to two charges of being an idle and disorderly person.
One of the charges was based on Wilson’s admission to police that he had been begging outside the Kentucky Fried Chicken restaurant on West Bay Road on the evening of 23 May.
The charge to which he pleaded was placing himself in a public place for the purpose of gathering alms next to the waterside on South Church Street in the direction of Hard Rock public house.
‘What century are we in?’ Magistrate Nova Hall asked in Summary Court last week after the charges were aloud.
The first accused Wilson placing himself in a public place for the purpose of gathering alms.
The second charge was having no visible lawful means of subsistence and, being able to labour, habitually abstaining from work at any trade, profession or calling.
Wilson pleaded not guilty to going equipped for stealing and that charge was left on file.
Crown Counsel Richard Hearnden said police officers were on patrol in George Town around 5am on 24 May. They saw Wilson walking on South Church Street near Harbour Drive. They observed him to drop something and this aroused their suspicion.
They stopped to speak to him and found that what he had dropped was a pair of bolt cutters.
When he was interviewed, Wilson told officers he was Caymanian and resided at a number of places. The officers took this to mean he had no fixed abode.
Wilson also told them he had been begging the previous evening.
Defence Attorney John Furniss explained Wilson’s situation, having appeared for him on previous occasions.
‘When Maxwell doesn’t take his medications there are problems,’ Mr. Furniss told the court. When the incident occurred, it was getting toward the end of the month, at which time he would be getting medication again.
Since being in custody, he had received it. From his demeanour and behaviour in court, it was clear the medication was working, Mr. Furniss said.
The magistrate expressed concern about Wilson’s lack of a fixed address. She wondered if there might be a problem again when time came for his medication.
Mr. Furniss said there were people keeping an eye on him and one person in particular assisted him with food when Wilson didn’t have money of his own. This person was the owner of the bolt cutters Wilson had.
‘He does seem to be doing a lot better,’ Mr. Furniss said. ‘I think the difficulty had been getting work.’
The magistrate imposed 30 days on the charge related to begging and made the second 30 days run concurrently. The bolt cutters were forfeited to the Crown.
The maximum penalty for being an idle and disorderly person is a fine of $500 and imprisonment for three months.
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