Court: Man Admits Using Neighbour’s Electricity
Appearing in Magistrates Court this morning [Feb 12], 56 year old Michal Tucker pleaded guilty to dishonestly obtaining electricity, to an unknown value, on 23rd January.
Prosecutor Loxly Rickett told Magistrate Khamisi Tokunbo that Mr Tucker’s neighbor had noticed an extension cord leading from his pump room to Mr Tucker’s next door property. Speaking to the Magistrate, Mr Tucker explained that he had problems with starting his car and was drawing power in order to charge his car battery.
Mr Tucker admitted that he had not sought his neighbour’s prior permission.
The Magistrate said that on the evidence, this was a dispute between neighbours and granted a six month Conditional Discharge.
On another matter, Mr Tucker plead guilty to driving an unlicensed car in March 2014. The Magistrate fined him $750.
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Sounds to me like Tuck thinks he can do as he pleases. Stealing electricity from neighnours without asking and driving an unlicensed car as well. Learn from it Tuck…LEARN FROM IT!
What’s happening up there in the DPP’s office? This trivial case was actually brought to court? Was that really necessary? And before people jump on me, not every single case needs to be handled by the courts. Are you telling me that this couldn’t be settled between the neighbors before it reached that point? Wow!
Theft is theft brother! Stealing electricity is theft from your neigbour…unlicensed car and driving on the roads is theft from the Government.
I’m a sister, thanks LOL. Anyway, I’m not denying theft is theft, which is wrong. I just seem to see so many neighbor disputes being settled in court. I even recall seeing somebody brought to court for “stealing” avocados off his neighbor’s tree. Come on, seriously? Maybe it’s me, but these issues seem too petty when you could just try and work it out.
Unlicensed car may be a different issue, but I wouldn’t automatically call the cops on my neighbor.
I suspect that there is more to this story than appears here for this matter to have been brought to court….
It’s PRINCIPLE.
“Theft from the government.” Lol. You are such a nerd. Those potholes in the roads is what to us citizens?
Since you are so understanding, maybe Mr. Tucker could steal your electricity next time and you can settle it out of court!
It’s not a matter of being “understanding.” It’s a matter of wasting the court’s time on petty issues. Obviously the magistrate agrees with me, calling it a dispute between neighbors and giving him a conditional discharge.
What value of items should a person be able to steal without consequence, in your mind?,
How much would you say could be stolen from you per incident without the police gettng involved?
$25 a day?
$50 a day?
I’m just interested.
It’s not the value of the goods, it’s the circumstances. I often sit in court and shake my head in disbelief at some of the cases, many which don’t even get reported in the media. And it’s not just cases involving theft, just a lot of juvenile petty nonsense at times. I don’t know if you’re a parent, but it’s almost like kids fighting and always expecting mom and dad to sort it out.
I don’t know if you’ve ever gone and sat in and watched the court proceedings. Maybe then you would understand where I’m coming from.
So it’s not the value, it’s the circumstances.
So a person could steal $200 from you, for example, if it were a neighbour?
Because to go running to the police would be petty, right?
ask the oba and the bta
Are you illiterate? That is not what she said at all. She said they should handle it outside of court, not that he should be allowed to keep stealing without consequence.
So how much can a person steal without consequence?
What would you be ok with? $50?
Just interested.
Are you illiterate? That is not what she said at all. She said they should handle it outside of court, not that he should be allowed to keep stealing without consequence.
So, if you catch somebody stealing from you you can pound the living you know what out of him & send him on his way if he can still move when you are finished.
I seem to recall a group of neighbours doing just that not too verylong ago. Wonder if that individual has been back in the neighbourhood since?
Someone did the same thing to me actually and they cut a check. We settled it as neighbors, no courts needed. What did the judge say? It was stated in the article. You have reading comprehension problems.
Creamy has reading comprehension issues. I don’t know why I even bother trying to explain myself to him/her.
All he had to do was pull the cord out and chop off the end.
DPP office passes on a few cases that could be handled within… But hey life goes on. Protocol I guess.
I agree with you “self” this is ridiculous. Bermuda Government is playing broke as it is. Now they’re wasting our hard earn money that comes from our pay, which personally cannot afford them to take, on rubbish like this! This is Ludacris…half of the cases brought to court are a waste of time, and a waste of our bloody money!
Obviously they couldn’t settle it out of court and therefore it had to be brought to court. He didn’t want to pay for his own electricity use then and what makes you think he is just going to settle! This is as low as you can go – very CRAFTY and SNEAKY! If you can’t trust your own neighbours, who CAN you trust!!!!!
There is nothing “obvious” about it. From my profession, I see firsthand many cases taken to court as the first and only resort. Lots of silly, petty cases where they don’t even try some sort of mediation first.
I think people are assuming I condone this bad behavior, which I 100% DO NOT. However, some cases such as these seem more likely to be civil cases. Like I said, the magistrate’s are thankfully not giving people criminal records.
Stealing electricity, that’s shocking!
Good one Y-Gurl!!!
The struggle IS real.
Yeah…let’s just have people doin’ whatever the hell they like. Walk into Marketplace at lunchtime and if it’s less than $20 walk straight out with their special of the day without paying. No court for them. Yah right Self! Laws are there for a reason. Stop being an enabler and minimizer!!
Come on now! Use your brain. I think you’re nit picking for the heck of it. I would have never thought of walking out of Market Place without paying for my food. Interesting how that example sprung to your mind…maybe YOU’RE the one that has been tempted to do it yourself several times huh?
Partly or in whole,these minor cases go to court so it will be reported in the newspaper and be debated and discussed by the populace… like now. The message to Bermudians is – don’t steal(unless you are the government) or you will be fined and embarrassed (our politicians are incapable of being embarrassed) none the less Its a deterrent strategy and works for some. my 2 cent.
I think the very first person who commented in this chain knows ‘Tuck’ very well. Like him I agree that this is a shameful situation. On the other hand there may be cases when alternative options could be used, but this is not the one. Name and shame them!! With the average electricity bill being around $300, most people are barely keeping their own electricity on. Its time to get some help Mike.
Tuckers neighbour your an idiot! That’s not what Bermudians are about! Share Care Love and grow up! Prosecuting your neighbour for using your electricity your serious! All the times I’ve connected my phone to someone’s outlet without asking, I should’ve been tried in court hundredths of times
Sounds like you are as much a part of the problem as Tuck.
You think you are entitled to someone elses assets just because you are a Bermudian?
Shame on you.