A young man who stole a laptop computer from the home of his friend’s aunt told the court that he did not steal the laptop … he just borrowed it.

Hansley Miles, 18, was arrested and charged with simple larceny after he stole an Alcatel laptop valued at $20, 695.

The complainant, when asked why she had fingered Myles as the culprit, said that he was at her home on the day of the incident, and after the laptop went missing he admitted that he had been using it. Also, his stepmother had informed her that she had seen him with the laptop.

The court also heard that when the police cautioned Myles he said:“A nuh thief mi thief it, a borrow mi borrow it.”

After the prosecutor told the court what he had said under caution, the judge asked him: “You borrow it?”

Myles, in response, said: “Yes.”

“You get permission from the lady to borrow it,” Judge Crooks further asked. “Yuh nuh get nuh permission … a steal u steal it.”

The complainant then told the court that Myles’ stepmother had offered to replace the laptop, and this was confirmed by the stepmother.

The judge then extended Myles’ bail and instructed his stepmother to return to court on April 27 with the laptop.

The court was not told what had happened to the device.