Bahamas Court News

NASSAU- A prolific criminal is back in prison for stealing from two elderly women.

Anastacia Moree, 42, who has a criminal history that dates back to 2004, pleaded guilty when she appeared before Senior Magistrate Derence Rolle-Davis on Thursday.

Moree reoffended soon after serving two years of a three year sentence for thefts targeting elderly women.

Despite past failures at rehabilitation, Moree told the court that she needed help.

Moree preyed on two women, ages 70 and 73, this month by offering them rides from the Mall at Marathon.

Both women had recently withdrawn money from ATMs with the intention of paying their bills.

Moree stole $300 from the 70-year-old and $180 from the 73-year-old.

Moree distracted the 70-year-old and stole the money from her purse. She placed her hands in the 73-year-old woman’s pocket after asking her if she had change.

Magistrate Rolle-Davis will sentence Moree on July 20. He has requested a social services report.

NASSAU- A homeless man has been charged with indecent exposure after he was allegedly caught masturbating in public.

Prosecutors say Henry Saunders, 55, indecently exposed himself to the annoyance of two male officers working the beat on Carmichael Road on May 15.

He was also charged with vagrancy.

Saunders pleaded not guilty to the charges and was granted $500 bail. His trial is set for June 14.

NASSAU- A woman has denied deliberately rolling over a woman’s foot with her car.

Lyn-Opra Rolle denied a charge of assault with a deadly instrument at her arraignment before Magistrate Samuel McKinney.

Police issued a wanted poster for Rolle last week.

Prosecutors allege that he rolled over Crystal Johnson’s foot on purpose while at a bar on Mackey Street last month.

Magistrate McKinney on Friday set Rolle’s bail at $1,500 and she returns to court for trial on June 28.

NASSAU – Two men have admitted trying to buy liquor worth more than $12,000 with a forged cheque.

Dwaine Rolle, 23, called in an order for alcoholic beverages valued at $12,092.38 at Bristol Wines and Spirits on May 10.

He said that he would settle his bill with a cheque.

Unbeknownst to Rolle, staff called the police prior to his arrival as others had bought alcohol with fake cheques.

Rolle arrived with Oryan Peterson to collect the order.

Rolle presented a fake Teachers and Salaried Workers Cooperative Unit—and police arrested them both.

Police charged Rolle with possession of a forged document, uttering a forged document and attempted fraud by false pretenses.

Peterson was charged with abetment to attempted fraud by false pretenses.

Both men admitted the charges when they appeared before Magistrate Samuel McKinney.

Rolle was fined $3,500 and Peterson was fined $500.

Both men were told that failure to pay would result in six months’ imprisonment.

NASSAU- A convict had two years added to his sentence in error.

As a result of the administrative blunder, Sidney Hart Jr spent an extra two months in custody before the mistake was corrected.

The Court of Appeal ordered Hart’s immediate release from custody on Wednesday.

Hart pleaded guilty to a string of break-ins and thefts in February 2020.

At the time of his plea, Hart had already spent one year in prison.

Magistrate Ayse Rengin Johnson imposed concurrent sentences that totaled an additional year.

But the committal warrants sent to the prison mistakenly said that the sentences were consecutive.

The word mixup caused prison officials to miscalculate Hart’s release date.

Since the warrant erroneously said the sentences would run consecutively, prison officials thought he had to serve three more years with effect from February 2020.

Hart, who didn’t have a lawyer, appealed his sentence.

The prosecutor acknowledged the mistake—and didn’t oppose his appeal.

Court of Appeal President Sir Michael Barnett said, “It is imperative that magistrates ensure that the warrants that are sent to the prison accurately reflect the sentences that are imposed.”

But the blunder could end up being a costly one for the government, if Hart sues.