A young man who was mobbed, beaten and hit by a motor vehicle after he snatched a woman’s Samsung Galaxy phone in New Kingston escaped a three-month prison sentence after lawyers begged for him in the Kingston and St Andrew Corporate Parish Court on Friday.

Shaquile Richards, who told Chief Parish Judge Judith Pusey that he did not have any specific reason why he should not spend time in prison, was ordered to pay $50,000 or serve six months behind bars.The court heard that on April 23, about 9:00 pm, the complainant was walking along Trafalgar Road and talking on her cellular phone when Richards snatched the device and ran.He was, however, hit by a passing motor car while crossing the road and was then mobbed and beaten by an angry crowd before he was handed over to the police.Richards was subsequently arrested and charged with larceny.When he appeared in court he pleaded guilty to the charge.But when asked by Judge Pusey why she should not send him to prison, he said: “I don’t have a specific reason.”“We have an epidemic of phone theft,” the judge then remarked.“You can imagine you are driving and talking on your phone and some smart addict come and take it and a car have to hit him down to stop him.” she continued.At that point attorney Richard Lynch came to Richard’s assistance.“It was carnival settings and he was enjoying himself; he was not in the right state of mind,” Lynch said.Another lawyer, Attorney Elham Bogle, also sought to assist Richards. “He was smoking a lot,” Bogle said.“I think he should do three months for it,” Judge Pusey told them both.Bogle then suggested that he be given a three-week suspended sentence instead and when the judge refused she said 30 days with counselling.“Anytime I start giving people 30 days for that, then it is time for the people to take an application to Government to remove me,” she said.After much pleading from both lawyers Richards was fined $50,000. If the fine is not paid he will serve six months in prison.