A Hamilton Parish man who admitted stealing a bottle of Scotch this morning told the court that he needed help.

Jamaka Gibbons, 39, pleaded guilty to a charge of stealing a $68.10 bottle of Dewar’s White Label scotch from Lindo’s in Devonshire.

The court heard that at around 11.20am on May 16, management at the store saw Gibbons enter and walk directly towards the liquor department, where he picked up two bottles of Scotch — a 750ml bottle and a 1.75l bottle.

He then went to the cash register and attempted to purchase the smaller bottle with a debit card, which was declined. As the cashier returned the smaller bottle to the shelf, Gibbons left the store with the larger bottle hidden in his jacket.

However he was confronted by staff outside, who took the bottle from him. The staff member attempted to hold Gibbons by his jacket, but Gibbons removed the jacket and left the area, walking down Brighton Road. Gibbons was stopped by police a short distance away and arrested.

Appearing in court, Gibbons admitted the theft, adding: “To be honest, I’m not going to stop doing it. I need some sort of drug treatment to help.”

Magistrate Khamisi Tokunbo ordered a drug assessment and a Social Inquiry Report on Gibbons, releasing him on $1,000 bail. He also instructed Gibbons to observe Drug Treatment Court on a weekly basis until July 22, when he is to return to the courts for sentencing.

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