KINGSTON, Jamaica — Laughter erupted inside the Corporate Area Resident Magistrate’s Court Friday after an employee of the Jamaica Defence Force (JDF) admitted that he stole $7,000 from the offerings in a vault at the JDF chapel.

The court heard that Michael Bailey, a part-time caretaker at the JDF, was caught on camera stealing the money.

According to police reports, the JDF Garrison Church of the Ascension had been missing offerings that were placed in the vault for some time, and as a result, installed a camera to find the culprit.

Bailey was caught red-handed.

On Friday when the matter was mentioned, persons in the court laughed and whispered amongst themselves as Bailey stood and pleaded guilty to simple larceny.

Resident Magistrate Georgianna Fraser did not question Bailey about the reasons for his actions, and gave him a six-month sentence suspended for 12 months upon learning that he had no previous conviction.

“You have cooked your own goose but you cannot cook any more up at camp,” Fraser told Bailey following the sentencing.

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