By LAMECH JOHNSON

Tribune Staff Reporter

ljohnson@tribunemedia.net

FORMER Bahamas Contractor’s Association president Stephen Wrinkle spent his first of 365 days behind bars after being sentenced yesterday in Magistrates Court for stealing electricity from the Bahamas Electricity Corporation.

Before being fined $1,000 and sentenced to one year in prison for stealing power, the 61-year-old Eastern Road resident and president of Wrinkle’s Construction and Development was told by a magistrate that as a contractor, he  “should’ve known better”.

Magistrate Derence Rolle-Davis, who presided over Wrinkle’s dishonest consumption of electricity case since it began in June 2011, told Wrinkle and his attorney Jomo Campbell that stealing electricity is an inexcusable action.

“This action is very inexcusable. The defendant is a contractor and should’ve known better,” he said before adding that the penalty for such carried both a fine and custodial sentence that he would give to show the public that such actions are not taken lightly.

The magistrate sentenced Wrinkle to one year at Her Majesty’s Prison along with a fine of $1,000. He added that if the fine was not paid within a month’s time, then Wrinkle would receive an additional three months time onto his sentence.

Wrinkle, though he was handcuffed and taken to Fox Hill Prison, intends to appeal the conviction and sentencing handed down to him.

Not long after the sentencing, The Tribune spoke with Mr Campbell who indicated that his client had instructed him to apply for bail pending his appeal to the Court of Appeal.

Speaking about the sentencing, he said he found no merit in a stiff penalty being handed to his client or anyone else just to prove a point.

Wrinkle was accused of dishonest consumption of electricity that was claimed to be have been committed between February and March of 2011.

Prosecutors alleged that he stole power for the Bayparl Building on Parliament Street which he manages.

From his arraignment in June of 2011 to his conviction in January of this year, Wrinkle had maintained his innocence concerning the allegation.

In yesterday’s sentencing exercise, Mr Campbell made a plea in mitigation on behalf of Wrinkle, noting that the 61-year-old father of two and major bread winner for his family had no pending matters or previous convictions in the Bahamas or any other jurisdiction.

He also said that his client was a well known contractor who frequently travelled for job related functions concerning his business.

He said bearing in mind the court’s decision on the charges, “the defendant is sorry.”

“It’s not a situation he wanted to find himself in,” the attorney added.

Mr Campbell said that his client’s situation was not one that warranted a custodial sentence.

“We would submit Mr Wrinkle is not beyond reform. He will seek to not fall foul of the law again,” he said.

He further requested that a fine “in the form of a donation” be given if the court did not seek to impose a custodial sentence, so that Wrinkle would not be prohibited from travelling and continuing his work.

After the magistrate confirmed with the police prosecutor that there was nothing known of the defendant, he noted that he had taken into consideration the defendant’s lack of antecedents, the mitigation plea along with the aggravating circumstances of the case where electricity was stolen from the Bahamas Electricity Corporation.

He said the defendant’s actions were to get electricity through illegal means.

“This action is very inexcusable. The defendant is a contractor and should’ve known better,” the magistrate said.

He also said that the penalty for the offence, as listed on the law books, “is a penalty of both a fine and imprisonment so that members of the public do not take the seriousness of such actions lightly.”

The magistrate sentenced Wrinkle to one year at Her Majesty’s Prison along with a fine of a $1,000. He added that if the fine were not paid within a month’s time, then Wrinkle would receive an additional three months time onto his sentence.

Wrinkle was taken to prison, having already given his next set of instructions to Mr Campbell.

Wrinkle was represented by Roberto Reckley during the trial. Sgt Godfrey Brennen prosecuted the case.