“Life-saving” research on HIV, jewellery, electronics and cash worth over $30,000, were among the items lost to the Lang family when their home was burgled for the first time after decades of living in Tucker’s Town. Three men were sentenced yesterday in Magistrates’ Court in connection with the burglary — caught after a phone app led police directly to the home of one of the accused.

Among the items taken from the home on July 25 was a laptop computer belonging to Rupert Lang, which contained all of his research in collaboration with King’s College, London.

Both the laptop and a hard-drive backup were stolen in the incident.

Tarik Ebbin, 17, and 19-year-old Dunneiko O’Mara pleaded guilty to the break-in.

Troy Henderson, 20, admitted dishonestly receiving some of the items taken from the home — many of which were never recovered.

Senior Magistrate Juan Wolffe heard yesterday from prosecutor Susan Mulligan that the home of William and Janet Lang had been safe for 33 years, with Ms Lang calling the ransacking “the most upsetting thing ever to have happened”.

Now tightly locked and equipped with security systems, Ms Lang said in her statement that the home had become “an air-conditioned box”.

“We worry when anyone knocks on the door,” the statement said, adding that their remaining possessions are locked in a safe — but that the family remain “angry, upset and violated”.

Ebbin, of Somersall Road, Smith’s, Henderson, of Brunswick Street in Pembroke, and O’Mara, who lives on Old Military Road in St George’s, were caught after the laptop’s GPS was used to trace it to Ebbin’s home. Arrested and interviewed, Ebbin admitted going inside with two others — although Henderson denied taking part, saying he merely received items that he didn’t realise were stolen.

The computer records had already been wiped by the time police retrieved it. In his own victim impact statement, Rupert Lang said “life-saving HIV research” had been lost — “not only to myself, but to the whole human race”.

The thieves took cash he had saved as tips from his summer job, as well as his 21st birthday cards, unopened, some of which also held money. Observing that he didn’t think there was ever really justice for the victims of burglary, Mr Wolffe castigated each defendant, ordering them to apologise to the Langs and to their family members in the courtroom — telling Ebbin: “What if someone broke into your house and took the stuff that your mother worked hard for?”

Saying he’d followed along with his friends, Ebbin said he was unemployed when asked how he would repay the family.

Defending Henderson was lawyer Larry Scott, who told the court that “something seemed to happen” in the public senior school shared by the boys, in which many dropped out at the same time.

“School meant nothing to them,” he said, adding that cannabis had become a “ubiquitous plant” — but Mr Wolffe said he didn’t embrace “this culture of victimisation”, saying the defendants had to take responsibility for themselves.

“We have this culture of marijuana in our society which is frying our young men’s heads, and the corollary is that there is no father,” he added.

Apologising, Henderson told the court: “From middle school and high school, I never had nobody but my sister to take care of me. The fridge was always empty. I never had stuff.”

Meanwhile, O’Mara, admitting he’d sought money “for my own selfish needs”, told the court he hoped to buy Nike shoes.

“I was going to keep the iPod,” he said. “I never had an iPod.”

Requesting a custodial sentence, Ms Mulligan remarked: “They all say the other guy is the bad influence.”

Mr Wolffe repeatedly threatened the three with jail, noting that their victims “suffered, and will continue to suffer for the rest of their lives”.

“No punishment will give these victims complete solace. Hopefully they will have some comfort knowing it was not in vain.”

Observing that the three had been evaluated as being at low risk of reoffending, he continued: “In my view, efforts should be made at this stage for these defendants to be rehabilitated and habituated so hopefully we can arrest that downward spiral.”

Each of the three got a two-year jail sentence, suspended for two years and with two years’ probation that included 10pm to 6am curfews, refraining from associating with anyone deemed negative by court services, random drug testing — and a review on December 1 to determine how they could begin paying back the victims.

“I’m already wondering if I made the right decision,” Mr Wolffe added. “If any of you at any time breach any one of these conditions, I will lock you up.

“There is no room for error. If you think I’m bluffing, then don’t do what I tell you.”

It is The Royal Gazette’s policy not to allow comments on stories regarding active court cases. This is to prevent any statements being published that may jeopardise the outcome of that case.