Sandhill resident gets 1 year for stealing Duracell batteries

BELIZE CITY, Wed. Feb. 1, 2012

By Roy Davis

Last Thursday, January 26, when he was charged with theft in the #5 Magistrate’s Court, Nelson Lockwood, 42, a woodcarver of Sandhill Village, used the name of Nelson Yearwood. He pleaded guilty to the charge and he was fined $1,000. He was given until February 27 to pay the fine, in default 1 year imprisonment.

Today, Lockwood appeared again in the #5 Magistrate’s Court on a charge of theft. Again he pleaded guilty to the charge but this time Magistrate Hettie Mae Stuart did not impose a fine. She told Lockwood that shoplifting appears to be his common practice so she sentenced Lockwood to one year imprisonment. The sentence, she stipulated, will run concurrently to any other sentence Lockwood is serving.

The theft last week occurred around 10 a.m. on Wednesday, January 25, at Bottom Dollar Store, located on North Front Street.

Francisco Camara, a security guard on surveillance camera spotted Lockwood taking a Nidea Complete Seasoning from the shelf and putting it in the front pocket of his pants. Lockwood walked out of the store without paying for the seasoning and that was when Camara apprehended him and kept him in custody until the police arrived.

The complete seasoning, valued at $42.75, was recovered.

The theft this week occurred around 8:35 a.m., on Tuesday, January 31, at Brodies Superstore, located on Albert Street.

Steven Baizar, a security guard at Brodies Superstore, saw Lockwood on surveillance camera taking 5 boxes of triple A Duracell batteries from the shelf. He waited until Lockwood left the store without paying for the batteries then he apprehended Lockwood. A search of Lockwood resulted in the retrieval of the 5 boxes of batteries.

After he was sentenced Lockwood told Magistrate Stuart that when he was in police custody his face was covered with a rag and he was kicked in his genitals. He said he bleeds whenever he urinates.

As a result, Magistrate Stuart instructed the prosecutor to have Lockwood taken to Karl Heusner Memorial Hospital for treatment before he is taken to prison.

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