A Kingston vendor who pleaded guilty to stealing a man’s pouch in downtown Kingston tried to get the sympathy of the judge by telling her that he was the sole caregiver for his mother, whom he claimed was suffering from HIV. But the judge ignored him, having heard his story more than once.

Marlon Hamilton, 28, of Metcalfe Road in Kingston, was arrested and charged following allegations that he stole the complainant’s pouch containing his documents and bank cards.

On Friday when Hamilton appeared in court, he pleaded guilty but told the judge that it was a woman who had picked up the man’s bank card off the ground and had given it to him.

However, he said that before he could respond the man attacked him.

“A shop me a shop down inna the crowd and a woman touch me and say ‘see you drop you card’ and the man jus grab me and start beat me,” Hamilton said in dramatic fashion, eliciting laughter in the court.

“Is buy and sell me do ’cause a mi alone a take care of my mother and she is very sick … she have HIV,” he added.

“Well, I am sorry to hear that but the amount of time you tell me that, me think she would be dead by now,” the judge replied amidst more laughter in the court.

“You nuffi tell lie on sickness,” Judge Pusey added.

But Hamilton insisted that his mother was sick.

“My mother sick, she have HIV. Is har husband give har and him dead wa day yah,” Hamilton said as the laughter continued.

The judge then asked Hamilton how long he had spent in prison on his previous charge.

“You mean when me did come here last year fi acid the bwoy? … about nine month,” he said, but the judge told him that it was 12 months.

“Miss Pusey you know me naa tell you no lie. Mi use to do crime but mi stop ’cause a me alone a take care a mi mada and mi waa wen she dead me can bury har,” Hamilton said, amidst more laughter.

“Well, somebody else have to care for her. Do 12 months more,” the judge told Hamilton.

“Twelve more months?” Hamilton asked in disbelief, as those in the courtroom found more humour in his response.