Teens charged with Horseshoe Bay theft (Update)

Two teenagers were remanded into custody today after being charged with a theft at Horseshoe Bay Beach.

Enico Durrant, 18 and Frank Herbert, 19 were charged with stealing a tourist's backpack containing three passports and cash yesterday at the popular beach.

Mr Durrant pleaded guilty while Mr Herbert denied the charge.

Crown counsel Susan Mulligan told the court the complainant, Howard Arendt arrived in Bermuda on August 19 on the Explorer of the Seas in Dockyard.

He left the ship at 9:30am that day and caught the bus to Horseshoe Bay beach with his family.

The court heard Mr Arendt left his backpack on the beach with his sister while he went into the water.

The bag contained three passports, bus tokens and cash.

At 11:30am the same day, police received a report of two males trying to steal a tourist’s backpack on the beach.

When they attended the beach, the senior lifeguard told them he was informed of two young men “acting suspiciously” and had warned the other lifeguards and park rangers.

The lifeguard told the officers he saw both defendants on the beach.

He watched Mr Herbert go into the water and ten minutes later, he walked over to where Durrant was standing.

The court heard Durrant grabbed Mr Arendt’s backpack and both men ran away from the scene.

Ms Mulligan said: “Enico Durrant ran and hid into the bushes and Frank Herbert ran up the hill.

“A lifeguard tackled Mr Durrant and he begged to let him go.

“Mr Durrant said he had to pay his mother.”

The lifeguard held Durrant down while calling for backup.

The complainant’s sister approached Mr Herbert who was hiding in another set of bushes and asked where her brother’s backpack was and he pointed in the direction of Durrant.

Both men were arrested when the police arrived and taken to the Hamilton Police Station.

In an interview, Durrant told officers he and Mr Herbert went to the beach to steal that day.

He said his mother had told him he couldn’t come back home unless he gave her $100 and he needed the money.

Mr Herbert told the officers they went to the beach to swim and denied stealing the bag.

A social inquiry report was ordered for Durrant and his matter was adjourned for sentencing on October 9. He was remanded into custody.

Mr Herbert will face trial on September 17 and was also remanded into custody.