MONTEGO BAY, St James – A man who tried to beg his way out of his seventh conviction, was on Monday sentenced to nine months at hard labour after he pleaded guilty to receiving stolen property in the Montego Bay Resident Magistrates’ Court.

Nicholas Richardson had last week told the court he would not plead guilty to simple larceny but would instead plead guilty to the other charge when he faced the court for the first time.

Richardson, who told the court he had four children to take care of, said he had “changed his ways” and was trying to stay out of trouble.

The court heard that Richardson acted suspiciously after being stopped by the police at around 10:00 am on January 4. The police found him with a bag containing a car radio, combat boots, a bottle of lotion, and a cellular phone, among other articles, all valued at over $40,000.

Richardson was taken to the Freeport police station where checks were made and the owner of the phone contacted.

Investigations revealed that the owner’s car had been broken into and the items stolen.

On realising that he would not be going home on Monday, Richardson told the court he had enemies at the Spanish Town prison and would be killed if he went there.

Acting Senior Resident Magistrate Vivienne Harris in handing down sentence recommended that he serve his sentence at Tower Street Adult Correctional Centre.