Butcher caught shoplifting meat
A ham-fisted butcher who worked at Lindo’s got caught just before Christmas trying to smuggle meat out of the store.Garrick Williams stuffed three hams into his duffel bag but was spotted by two managers at the family food store in Warwick, according to prosecutor Carrington Mahoney.When police were called to the scene of the incident on the evening of December 14, they found the food — worth $174 — in Williams’ bag. He admitted to the theft when he was interviewed by police.Mr Mahoney said Williams, 38, of Curving Avenue, Pembroke, has previous convictions and was on parole at the time of the crime.The defendant is a former national cricket player who was jailed for 14 years in 2007 for importing more than $5 million-plus of heroin and ecstasy. The drug haul was the largest in Bermuda’s history at that time, and was found in a suitcase he brought in through the airport.Williams also has a previous conviction dating from 1995 for stealing a pay cheque from a colleague when he was working at Kentucky Fried Chicken. He altered details on the cheque and then cashed it to obtain $555.He apologised to Lindo’s for the latest offence when he appeared in court yesterday. Senior Magistrate Archibald Warner fined him $500, which he must pay by February 8 or face a month in jail.Speaking after the case, Zach Moniz, manager at Lindo’s Family Foods, said Williams lost his job as a butcher as a result of the crime.“I’m very disappointed with Garrick. He’s somebody that had a lot of ability, so it was disappointing for it to end like that,” he said.