WESTERN BUREAU

A security guard who stole a Motorola cellular phone from an employee at a Montego Bay hotel to which he was ass-igned pleaded guilty and had his bail extended when he appeared yesterday before the Montego Bay Resident Magistrate's Court .

Twenty-two-year-old Craig Fray pleaded guilty to the charge of simple larceny after he was held in possession of a Motorola L7 phone, valued at $15,000 and $500 belonging to a chef at the hotel.

He is scheduled for sentencing on October 22, while the court awaits a social enquiry report.

Resident Magistrate Winsome Henry described Fray's conduct as "disgraceful", reminding him that the role of a security guard is to protect people's property, not to steal them.

Fray told RM Henry that he saw a bag with the items and took them. According to him, he was never told that if he found an item, he should take it to the chief security officer (CSO) or someone in authority to assist in finding the owner.

The court was told that the police were called to the hotel on September 16 after the complainant reported to the CSO that his Motorola cellular phone and $500 were stolen from his bag. The police gave the CSO certain instructions and the following morning they were again called in.

The police went to a section of the hotel where they saw the CSO who had Fray in his custody.

It was revealed to the police that during a random security check, the accused was found in possession of three Motorola cellphones. Fray told the police that he got one of the phones, which was found in his jacket pocket, from his girlfriend.

However, a search of his person revealed $500 in one of his socks and a SIM card in the other.

The complainant identified one of the three cellphones as his, based on photos of his girlfriend and neighbours who he had stored in the phone's memory.

As a result, Fray confessed to taking the items and was arrested.