A truck driver who claimed he was evicted from his family's home because of his wife's ethnicity yesterday was granted $20,000 bail on a charge of being found on enclosed property to steal.Ian Gunnesslal, 42, admitted to the crime but the magistrate registered a not guilty plea after he said he did not enter the property to steal but to "take a rest."When asked by San Fernando Fourth Court Magistrate Natalie Diop about his wife's whereabouts, Gunnesslal said he had no idea. He said she ran away when the police came.
Police prosecutor Sgt Chanardath Jhilmit said around midnight on Tuesday PC Crawford and other officers were on patrol when they saw Gunnesslal lying on the floor of a garage in a fenced property at 850 Hill View Drive, Gulf View, La Romaine.Asked by the police what he was doing there, Gunnesslal said: "Officer me and my wife have nowhere to go so we come here to take a rest."Gunnesslal told the magistrate he was forced to leave his home because his relatives disapproved of his wife's African ethnicity.
With no money to pay rent, he said they have been sleeping on the streets.He only worked one day since he has been on the streets.Gunnesslal said his wife kept complaining about getting wet in the rain so he took it upon himself to seek shelter at the property. "We were not there to steal." The magistrate then entered a not guilty plea.The prosecutor objected to bail because a trace revealed that he had pending matters but magistrate granted him bail and adjourned the matter to August 6.