By Farrah Johnson

Tribune Staff Reporter

fjohnson@tribunemedia.net

TWO men who stole two cars in the span of a day were placed on two years’ probation and ordered to compensate the car owners for the damage rendered to their vehicles.

Troy Rolle, 25, and Markintino Cayard, 18, appeared before Magistrate Samuel McKinney after they were accused of stealing and damaging a $5,000 Nissan Bluebird Sylphy which belonged to Nathaniel Perpall on September 10. The prosecution also said the pair stole and caused $325 worth of damage to Estra Cash’s 2008 Nissan March which was valued at $2,500 that same day.

As it relates to the first incident, the court was told Mr Perpall had his vehicle locked and secured in the front yard of his residence. The prosecution said when he returned a short time later, he discovered his car was missing. After realising it had been stolen, Mr Perpall then filed an official complaint with police. That same day, officers, acting on information, arrested both suspects in relation to two motor vehicle thefts.

The court heard Rolle and Cayard then led the officers to where the cars were located before they were transported to the Central Police Station for questioning.

During the hearing, Rolle was represented by attorney Bernardo Ferguson. He told the magistrate his client was a young entrepreneur who had made a mistake. Noting Rolle did not waste the court’s time, he insisted the defendant was remorseful and repentant for his actions. When given an opportunity to speak, Rolle also told the magistrate he ran a coconut business and had returned to his old ways because he had fallen on hard times.

After listening to his explanation, Magistrate McKinney accepted Rolle and Cayard’s guilty pleas and placed each of them on probation for two years. He further ordered Cayard to pay Mrs Cash $125.

Rolle on the other hand, was ordered to compensate Mrs Cash $200 and make an arrangement with Mr Perpall to have any damage caused by his actions repaired.

He told the defendants if they failed to do so, Cayard could spend a year behind bars while Rolle could risk spending 18 months in prison.