PHILIPSBURG–A 55-year-old cleaning lady at Princess Juliana International Airport SXM was sentenced by the Court of First Instance on Wednesday for stealing US $1,300 from a wallet belonging to Aruba’s well-known “hit maker” Claudius Philips on April 27.
Philips and his band Oreo have been around for more than 20 years. Philips arrived in St. Maarten on April 27 to perform at the Night of the Hit Makers one day later.
While at the Airport, Philips visited the restrooms and forgot his laptop bag while on the way out. The bag was found, but a wallet that was in it went missing.
Suspect Lynette A. Small had handed the bag to Airport security, stating she had found it while cleaning the restroom. She vehemently denied she had anything to do with theft. “I don’t know anything about it. I never stole any money,” she told the Judge.
However, the woman had confessed to the Police she had taken $400 from the wallet, and confronted with the victim, who had stated he wanted his money back, she had given him $1,300. She was locked up for seven days and lost her job at the Airport.
The Prosecutor said on Wednesday that the evidence against the woman was overwhelming, stating there was camera footage of the woman holding something in her hands when leaving the restroom. It was also seen that she discarded a box in a garbage bin. When searching the bin, security personnel found the missing wallet.
The Prosecutor’s Office found the woman guilty as charged, based on the theft report, witness statements and camera images. For this crime, the Prosecutor called for a prison sentence of five days, with deduction of time already spent, two years’ probation and 20 hours of community service.
Attorney Zylena Bary called for the acquittal of her client for lack of evidence of theft committed against Philips, whom she described as an “icon from Aruba” and the “Bon Jovi of the Caribbean.”
The Judge found Small guilty as charged, as the evidence presented against her was very strong. “There is no doubt that you dumped the empty wallet in the garbage and you cannot explain the possession of $1,300,” the Judge said.
The Judge held it against the defendant that she kept denying the allegations. “You do not take any responsibility and you do not see how wrongful this is. There is no guarantee this will not happen again in the future,” the Judge said.
Small was sentenced according to the Prosecutor’s demand, but the Judge said the defendant should consider herself lucky, as the punishment requested by the Prosecutor was “very mild.”
Source: The Daily Herald https://www.thedailyherald.sx/islands/68612-cleaning-lady-stands-trial-for-stealing-hit-maker-s-wallet
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