A trio accused of housebreaking are in custody after being caught by Police over the theft of a cellphone.

Stevon Swan-Richardson, 22, of Loyalty Estate in Sandys, appeared in Magistrates’ Court alongside Joel Smith, of Tribe Road No 6 in Sandys, and Jahru Edmead, said to be of no fixed abode, both of whom are 18.

All three pleaded guilty to breaking into the home of Brian Eaton, in Morrison Place, Southampton, on April 14.

Swan-Richardson admitted threatening Detective Constable Delworth Smith, telling him: “I will see you outside — I’ve got a bullet for you, and if I want you dead I’ll have you dead tomorrow.”

Edmead also admitted to carrying a mask and gloves as articles in connection with a burglary, and attempting to pervert the course of justice by giving a false name.

Smith pleaded guilty to breaking into the homes of Roselyn Minors on Tribe Road No 6, Sandys, and Kerry Petty of Evans Bay Road, Southampton.

According to Crown counsel Loxly Ricketts, the three were caught on Tuesday, on the Railway Trail near Luke’s Pond Drive, Southampton, after Police responded to a report of four men in the area with masks and a stolen iPhone.

The three accused were spotted sitting on a bench with a green shopping bag, and a fourth man not before the court.

The group fled toward the shoreline on sight of officers, but were pursued and cornered under a cliff, where Police with tasers ordered them to stop.

The fourth man escaped, while the other three were arrested. Mr Eaton’s phone was found on Swan-Richardson.

Edmead, who had a devil mask and gloves under his shirt, gave the false name of Jeffrey Reyes, but was later identified on fingerprint evidence. On his person were a chequebook from the First National Bank of Botswana, a belt, and Australian and Canadian currency that had been stolen earlier that day from Mr Eaton’s home. The shopping bag back at the Railway Trail contained laptops and a bank card, also from Mr Eaton’s residence.

Swan-Richardson uttered the threats to Dc Smith while being searched in custody, and said he had run from Police because he was carrying cannabis.

Police questioned Smith, who admitted to breaking into the homes on Evan’s Bay and on Tribe Road No 6. He later led Police to his own residence, where a bag buried in the yard yielded jewellery taken from the latter residence.

Ms Minors had been burgled of jewellery, cash and electronics on April 8. Items to a value of $4,100, recovered by Police from Smith’s home, were later identified by the family. Cash and jewellery were taken from Ms Petty’s home on April 15. Smith told Police that he had carried out the crimes by himself, and had met the others only on the day they were arrested.

According to Mr Ricketts, both Swan-Richardson and Edmead had previous convictions for similar crimes.

Calling their offences serious, magistrate Khamisi Tokunbo denied bail, ordering social reports and remanding the three until June 9. Smith, who had no previous convictions, was sent to the Co-Ed facility.

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