A former female security supervisor who stole a cellular phone from a man at the Norman Manley International Airport was this week ordered to pay $50,000 or serve six months in prison.

Forty-five-year-old Sophia Brown was ordered by Senior Resident Magistrate Judith Pusey to pay the fine after pleading guilty to simple larceny in the Corporate Area Resident Magistrate’s Court.

The court heard that on August 14 this year the complainant put down his phone and other items to be scanned by the X-ray machine while going through the security screening.

The complainant said that he accidentally left the phone — a US$200 Blu Vivo — at the security check point and went to the departure lounge, when he realised that his phone was missing and returned to the security area.

However, the complainant said that the phone could not be found and he reported the matter to the police, who questioned the security officer and during a search of her handbag the phone was found.

Brown, just before sentencing, told the court that she was extremely sorry for her action and had already paid the ultimate price as she has lost her job.

“With the greatest of remorse I am sorry for what had happened,” she said She added that if imprisoned her son, a slow learner, would be left on his own.

The magistrate, however, reprimanded Brown for her action and told her that she should have known better given her profession.

“In my personal view a security officer who works in such a sensitive area and who does something like this should go to prison for it,” RM Pusey said.

She than ordered that Brown pay a fine of $50,000 or serve six months in prison.