Broccoli thief jailed

A 38-year-old man appeared in court today charged with stealing 23lb of broccoli.

Vernon Symonds pleaded guilty to stealing the broccoli on January 28 from J&J Produce.

Crown counsel Susan Mulligan told the court Symonds was seen picking broccoli from the Hog Bay level farm and putting it in a large blue bag at 1:45pm that day by Herron Clarke, who was busy planting lettuce.

Mr Clarke called the police then used his cell phone to snap two pictures of Symonds stealing the broccoli.

When police arrived, Symonds had left the scene. Later that day, he was arrested in Pembroke on an unrelated matter.

Symonds had the bag of broccoli with him at the time and was arrested for theft.

Addressing the court, Symonds said he didn’t steal anything but just took the broccoli to sell it.

“I didn’t kill anybody, I just got a couple of heads of broccoli. I didn’t steal it, I took it.”

Symonds also claimed Mr Clarke was his friend and he had been there before for vegetables.

But Senior Magistrate Archibald Warner said: “You are so ardent and stupid, it’s amazing. You’re telling me you told the guy you wouldn’t come back and take the stuff and then you went back.

“If he’s your friend, what are you doing here today?”

Symonds said: “That exactly what I would like to know.”

Mr Warner continued: “There are struggling farmers around Bermuda that we hear complaining about the prevalence of these offences that it’s affecting their livelihood.

“In some societies, you get your hand cut off. Of course, we are a sophisticated society and we don’t allow those kinds of punishments.

“You can’t go and steal people's crops and sell them.

“Your case is annoying because of your arrogance. You steal these to sell them.”

Symonds was sentenced to 30 days imprisonment and two years probation.