Prison for man caught red-handed in launderette

Sunday 03 September 2017

A 37-year-old man has been sentenced to three years and nine months in prison in the Royal Court after he broke into a launderette using a screwdriver.

Bruno Manuel de Faria was caught by the owners of the Brighton Road launderette, who live next door, in the early hours of 2 February.

The woman heard noises coming from the premises around 02:30 and alerted her husband. When they entered, the Court heard that De Faria was hiding behind a board and jumped at the woman with the screwdriver in his hand. Her husband punched De Faria in the face and both men fell to the floor. Not wanting De Faria to escape, the husband held him down until Police arrived.

De Faria, who was described as smelling of drink, said that someone had asked him to break into the launderette because the owners owed them money. While searching him, Police found the key to a car reported as being drunkenly driven earlier that night. Inside, they found a TomTom Sat Nav and an iPod that stolen from another launderette on Le Geyt Street two weeks earlier, as well as 11 dihydrocodeine and two diazepam tablets. At his home, a further search revealed £1,700 in £20 notes inside a suitcase. De Faria explained that the TomTom and iPod were gifts in exchange for keeping the cash.

Crown Advocate Chris Baglin said that De Faria should receive credit for his guilty plea, despite being caught ‘red-handed’. He also noted De Faria’s criminal record in Madeira and Portugal including drug trafficking offences, and that he had been convicted in Jersey for the same.

Advocate James Bell, defending, explained that his client, who had previously struggled with drug addiction, was ashamed of his actions and that his time in custody was a “wake up-call”. Advocate Bell said: "This was not a happy or recreational period for him. In fact, he described it to me as a 'sad and miserable' existence, which led him to do things he wouldn’t normally do."

Advocate Bell suggested that De Faria had already paid the price for his offences after 211 days in custody. He said that his client wished to return to Madeira where his family is, and wished to abstain from illegal drugs. "He wants a normal life, like ordinary people enjoy."

Handing down his sentence, Bailiff Sir William Bailhache, who sat with Jurats Anthony Olsen and Sally Sparrow, commented: "The seriousness of the offence is obvious and posed threat to one of the owners, who was perfectly entitled to defend himself, his wife and his property."

He was subsequently sentenced to two years and nine months imprisonment, with another two months for refusing to provide a specimen of blood after his arrests, one month for possession of dihydrocodeine and one week for the possession of diazepam - all concurrent. He was also asked to pay £450 insurance compensation to the laundrette owners, and a deportation order was signed for once his prison sentence is completed.

Concluding, the Bailiff said: "We have looked at your letter of remorse. We accept you say you are clear of drugs and that is very much to your credit. Becoming clear of drugs Is not an overnight cure and it is difficult. It is a long term thing and you need commit to it. If you do that, the remorse you have expressed would be reflected in your actions."