Teenager Admits Stealing From Grandfather
John DeVonte Johnson, 19, pleaded guilty to three charges of stealing jewelry and laptops to a total value of $3,400 in Magistrates Court this morning [Jan 7].
Crown Prosecutor Maria Sofianos told Senior Magistrate Archie Warner that the first theft occurred between 31st December 2012 and 3rd January 2013. The evidence was that Johnson had stolen jewelry worth $2,400 from his grandfather.
Ms Sofianos told the Magistrate that Johnson was allowed to live in a tent outside his grandfather’s house and that Johnson was only allowed inside his grandfather’s house in order to eat.
On noticing that his jewelry was missing, the grandfather immediately suspected Johnson as the person most likely to have taken the items.
A second and third offence was the theft of laptop computers from two other residences on 2nd and 3rd January 2013. One of these residences was that of his great-aunt who allowed Johnson to enter her house only so that he could get a bath, but who also gave Johnson stringent instructions that he was to take nothing out of the house.
After Police were called in and after Police questioning over 3rd to 5th January, Johnson admitted the thefts and admitted entering one of the residences on 3rd January. Johnson told Police that he had received $300 from the sale of the jewelry.
Duty Counsel Oonagh Vaucrosson told the Magistrate that Johnson was remorseful and that he apologized for his actions. She also told the Magistrate that Johnson had no previous record, that this was his first offence, and that he had been apprenticing as a plumber.
Checking with Prosecutor Sofianos, Magistrate Warner was told that from the Crown’s point of view, Johnson was on record as having no fixed abode.
The Senior Magistrate adjourned the case to 14th February for sentencing and ordered a Social Inquiry Report. The Magistrate remanded Johnson into custody until that date.
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First offense and at 19 y/o he is living in a tent on his grandfathers lawn….something ain’t right here!
@sunshine I agree……something is not right here. ….wow……if the report is correct and this is his first offense. …who the heck did he piss off that he has to live in the yard? ……people’s pets live better than that. …omg……
My dog isn’t even stupid enough to bite the hands that feed him.
my dog dont live outside . . . wtf is really going on here
Neither does mine but my dog doesn’t steal our valuables either.
You YOUNG kids need to wake up. How is the world do you be “OF NO FIXED ABODE” at 19 years young. Let me guess, mommy or daddy ASKED you to take out the trash or wash the dishes and you thought that was beneath you so you stormed out of the house vowing to never return. Now look at you… and during the winter months too. I hope Grandpa burns your tent to the ground.
@ Where do I buy Bermuda. Hee Hee. ROFL. I would make him watch me burn it with all his belongings in it.
I really don’t think that’s why he’s of no fixed abode. Seems he has issues that his family are well aware of and don’t want to deal with. Letting him stay in a tent in the yard shows they care somewhat but if he’s constantly, allegedly, stealing all the time I wouldn’t want him in my house either.
I don’t know this young man or his family, but I’d bet a whole lot that he is yet another one who should have been identified as having problems when a pre-schooler. We need to get some wrap-around services for troubled individuals and families in place as soon as we can. *so much to do, so little time*
he needs jesus
My Grandfather was the greatest man in my life and many other people around the world.
I good cut @$$ worked for me and many, many others!
This is a prime indication of what happens when u spare the rod n spoil the child. We to often find discombobulated young people who were allowed to do whatever they like when coming up as a child, that was not trained correctly n now set in their comfort zone n no one can tell them what to do; when to do it; because of their upbringing which has done more insult to injury, as they had no real good guidance. So with all this parental slack, they now have to deal with the child’s disrespect n flack. And this didn’t just start, it has been going on for sometime as he was living in a tent for some reason, for some time apparently. Even though he is wrong, someone overlooked his challenges n instead of correcting him when they should have, they chose to ignore his cries for help n therefore he had to do what he did to get some sort of attention. Now those who failed him now wants him incarcerated because they did not train him in the way he should go. Damn they have him living in a tent on Papa’s property. Who failed him n then severed communications then evicted or put him out to pasture. To many of our young people have fallen thru the cracks n crevices because too many parents are intimidated n afraid of those monsters they birthed. No child is cute. They are either trained up right or they are rude n disrespectful n don’t give a damn. Not all parents are to blame, but we have a select few. Train up ur child…….the correct n godly way……take a look around n what do u see? Troubled everybody.
All I have to say is:
CAT & NINE TAILS = a very good boy and no more stealing – trust me!
My father told me that the last person to get the Cat & Nine tails Strapping squealed like a pig and you can hear him a mile away. – after that he was a very nice boy.
He w as not of “no fixed abode”. His fixed abode was not made of stone, but it was still a “fixed abode”.
Pray for his parents.
letting you GRANDCHILD live in a TENT in your yard has to be one of the most disgusting things i have heard of!!!! No person should be sujected to live in a tent (especially in the winter). this boy prob has deep rooted issues but to treat him as if he is a dog or a second class person (only allowing him to enter to eat and bathe) will only increase these issues! NO WONDER he stole from you people.
this is the type of sh#t i expect to hear about in JA or one of those island, NOT bermuda.
my heart goes out to this poor young man
You cannot be serious with this comment! CLEARLY this boy has an issue with stealing. His family can’t trust him to be in their house without him taking what doesnt belong to him. He’s lucky they let him stay in their yard. He could be eating out of the trash like the other vagrants! If you feel for him so much let him stay in your home. Just think of it as “donating” your belongings to this “poor young man”!
my piont is to say that maybe they should seek help for his issues istead of treating him in that manner!
clearly he is acting out from a lack of love or whatever the situation is. he needs help and i feel that they arent doing anything to help the problem.
people (especiall children) are a product of their enviroment! no person is born a with a Predisposition to steal. This is a learnt behavior that should have been identified and correct from childhood. It makes me sick when parents (or guardians) do absolutely NOTHING to correct these behaviors in the early stages of childhood, but then they want the whole community to feel sorry for them when their child turns bad. WHERE WERE THEY WHEN HE FIRST GOT IN TROUBLE FOR STEALING? Why not punish and reprimand him then, or seek psychological help if needed at those developmental stages.
We can all agree that this young man has issues, which I feel is clear as day. However, I feel like we need to look at the root cause of these issues and help him. For it is these people with these un- cured issues, that are making our community what it is today, dysfunctional.
We as parent need to take responsibility for our children action and seek out the appropriate help to avoid situations like this in the future.
This poor young man will become another lost youth in the system because his parent or guardians didn’t take the time out to help him. And guess what Bermuda, WE as tax payers and citizen will have to pay the burden of his and his family lack of key parenting skill.
so @ (0.0) before your right this young man off ask your self how did he become the way he is? and why wasnt he help? at 19years old he is legally a man, but socially still a child and i feel we need to save our children NOT right them off!
As an immediately relative of John, you are sooo wrong in your judgement of his grandparents.
Firstly, his issues did not come from his grandparent, they stem from his PARENTS!
This is a child that was brought up by his loving and positive grandparent that did all they can for him to receive counseling, go into programe to better himself. Yes, he was working for a trade firm, however he CHOOSE to misbehave and was hired and fired on numerous occassions. John has many opportunities to better himself, through counseling, the MIRRORS program and was suppose to go to Malaysia next month on a Raleigh program because of the guidance and direction of his grandparents.
Every time he committed a crime he would go missing for days, until it was noticed that he was sleeping in the trees surrounding the house, because he was too afraid to be dealt with when he returned home. So it was HIS CHOICE TO SLEEP OUTSIDE because of his behaviour.
The family has embraced John to the fullest!!!!
You don’t know this young man and what he did to the people that love, provided, disciplined and guided him in all the right ways.
Therefore, before you judge the grandparents, get your facts first, maybe you will have a change of opinion.
@Q….we can only go by what is reported…..comments are based on the article above NOT on the information you have provided.
One thing I can say that is a fact is that his issue with stealing has not been dealt with effectively. He has no record of stealing BUT yet there are SEVERAL incidents of theft. …..somewhere along the line someone “dropped the ball”…..the “whip” should have been cracked the FIRST time that he stole..
It’s obvious you did not read the comment correctly. John was in counseling at an early age and was in a home environment that loved, discipline and provided for him. He did not need to steal anything. Therefore, his Grandparents did not “drop the ball” he decided on his own not to heed to the directions and advice.
It’s so sad when people don’t know the truth and are making it look like the child is a victim when that is so far from the truth. This is why some of the criminals continue on such a distructive path because of the enabling attitudes of others. Instead of calling a spade a spade. Wrong is wrong!!! And John is WRONG!!
Then you take him in your house and show him some guidance.
Judgmental a#$ hole
Wat type of ‘Family’ is this, how can yu live with yourself comfortably knowing, your son/grandson is living in a tent? Come on its 2013.
everybody want to look down on him for stealing but why dont we look into why instead of just pointing fingers, i bet he needed the money and it appears that his family is treating him hard. Guys just trying to survive
You are a JOKE!!! Ignorance is bliss!!
@youtman: YOU are part of the problem! “J O B”. Do you have one of those, or do we have to be watching your moves, too?
Are you unaware of the unemployment problem in BDA- you say Job as if it’s as simple a 1 2 3 to become gainfully employed !
Shame on you !!!!
Your condisending remarks disgust me to my core.
I would love for all of you who condemn John being in a tent to invite him to live with you. Oh, by the way, don’t bother to lock up your valuables (as his Grandparents did) he will find a way. Just to let you know how serious his behaviour is.
Unfortunately, there is no facility on the island that can help with this implusive behaviour.
So please take him and the stress that comes with it and see if you will be singing the same song.
your missing the point!
The piont is his behaviour should have been properly corrected from childhood. If this was done then your family would not be in the situations that it finds its self in now.
we can understand and see that his behavior is out of hand, but who is to blame for that?
i dont blame him!!!
as a parent we want the best for our kids, well we should anyway. and if that mean we have to ship them to a facility that can help them then thats what we have to do.
to sit there and judge him for the behavior without correcting it is a means to No END!
prevention before cure!
im sure his grandparent had his best intrest at heart, but when you as a family saw that there efforts were not working (knowing he was astranged from his parent) you should have stepped in!
again it take a village to raise a child
take responsiblity
HE IS STILL A CHILD!! AND CHILDREN NEED LOVE AND SUPPORT
any addiction (and yes it is and addiction that he suffers from) can be cured with the love and support of others along with the proper treatment.
You are missing the point! You have NO idea what the family did to help him from the time his parents left him from a very young age, and believe me, not just his grandparents but the village as a whole! He has a great support system, he decided to do what he wants.
Like I said before if you don’t know the facts, MYOB!!!! And look into the window of your own family!
Addictions are choices. He is not “suffering” with an addiction, like somebody “suffers” with heart disease or blindness. He knew where to go for help. Instead he helped himself to his own blood’s hard-earned belongings. PLEEZE.
Judgement will not help the problem young lady.
Close your mouth with your negativity !
To Q he was not brought up by no grandparents because I worked with him and he lived in sunshine league for majority of his life him and his brother (who use 2 act out) so stop trying to fool the masses like they are innocent parties
Your right, wheres Col.Lamb? All he needs is a hug and someone to say I love you bro.
I agree with “Q”. It’s okay to voice an opinion. Just make sure you have the facts. Otherwise your opinion is just like “hot air coming out ya butt”; stinking.
I would be very comfortable with any one of my children living in a tent. If you can’t hear ya gonna feel it baby. Loving a family member doesn’t necessarily mean liking that family member.
Praying for him