A 65-year-old grandfather who admitted to stealing more than $60,000 in cellphones from a San Juan store was yesterday sentenced to 36 months in jail. Kelvin Assing, a chef from Riverside Road in Santa Cruz, was sentenced after pleading guilty before Magistrate Gloria Jasmath in the Port-of-Spain 11th Court. Assing, a father of eight, with three grandchildren, was arrested on December 13, last year, while exiting the premises of the cellular phone dealer.
He also pleaded guilty to being in possession of housebreaking instruments which included a hacksaw and a crowbar. A frail looking Assing, whose criminal record showed that he served multiple prison terms for similar offences, stood silently as Jasmath passed sentence. Jasmath also ordered that Assing do hard labour while in prison. In issuing the maximum penalty for the offense, Jasmath commented on the prevalence of such crimes in society and about Assing's age. Assing represented himself during the hearing, while Sgt Azard Ali, prosecuted for the State.
