A jury has found a St. George's man guilty of breaking and entering and stealing more than $16,000 worth of jewellery.

Carlton Eugene Minors, 29, of Great Bay Road, St. David's, will be sentenced this morning by Puisne Judge Norma Wade-Miller.

The six woman, six man jury, took just over an hour to find that Minors entered the home of Tammy Wurzbacher and Otis Ingham on May 28, last year.

Minors denied the charge of stealing and two alternate charges of receiving stolen property.

The jury had heard how Minors had been arrested with Lincoln Christopher in Jennings Land, Smith's, following a pursuit by Police.

Christopher has pleaded guilty to the charge and was the only witness called in Minors' defence.

He was sentenced to 27 months imprisonment in December.

Earlier that day, Ms Wurzbacher and Mr. Ingham had discovered their St. Luke's Lane home burgled. An arrest alert was issued.

It was found the men had entered via the back door and stole watches, rings, and other jewellery and $250 cash.

Minors' fingerprints matched prints found in the house on 16 ridge marks, the legal requirement for a match. Not all of the jewellery was recovered, although some was found at the scene of the men's capture, and the rest by other means. In her summation, Minors' lawyer Renee Foggo said her client had been to the home to see Mr. Ingham on another occasion and Christopher had told Police that Minors had nothing to do with the crime.

Crown counsel Charlene Scott questioned why Christopher had waited until the trial to come forward to defend Minors.

And she asked how the fingerprints -- which Police said were more recent than others -- came to be on the underside of a window sash.

Mrs. Justice Wade-Miller told the jury they were the sole judges of fact in the case and they should bring their lifetime of experiences to bear in their deliberations.

She said that circumstantial evidence was just as strong as direct evidence, as long as the facts involved were accepted.

Mrs. Justice Wade-Miller said nothing was to be held against Minors in his refusal to take the stand. She added: "You must look at the evidence that the prosecution has given you. The burden of proof is on them.'' Gesturing toward Minors in the dock, she said: "It is his legal right to stay where he is. There is no duty for him to prove his innocence.'' "You must examine the evidence in each count and you must be sure on each count,'' the judge added. "The only issue in this case is whether Mr. Minors broke and entered the home.''