ST JAMES, Jamaica — A man accused of stealing a motor vehicle from a Montego Bay businessman was remanded in custody when he appeared in the St James Parish Court on Wednesday.

Fidel Ferguson is charged with larceny of a motor vehicle and receiving stolen property.

According to the allegations, about 6:30 am on July 18, the complainant awoke to find his 2015 Toyota Axio missing from his driveway at Bogue Village in Montego Bay, St James.

He was able to track the vehicle to the Spot Valley area of the parish using the tracking device. However, when he arrived in Spot Valley, he didn’t see the car; but he did see some of his belongings.

He further tracked the car and found that it was in the Greenwood area.

The complainant sought the assistance of an officer he was familiar with, who met him in Greenwood. They went to a bushy area where the complainant identified his vehicle.

The off-duty officer received information which led them to a location a few metres away from the complainant’s vehicle.

They noticed the accused and another man in a white Nissan car. Another white Nissan with no registration plate was also seen in the same area. As the officer ordered the men to exit the vehicle, a man known as ‘Blacks’ was seen running from a house near where the vehicles were parked. He then hid in nearby bushes.

Upon inspection of the complainant’s car and the other two vehicles, it was discovered that the ignitions had been completely removed from all three vehicles.

The complainant later discovered other items belonging to him in the house from where the man had fled.

Under caution, Ferguson reportedly said, “Officer, you have to talk to ‘Blacks’ about this because he is the one who causes me to be here.”

When presiding judge Sasha-Marie Smith-Ashley enquired about the other man in the vehicle, the clerk-of-court informed her that the man, who is from Clarendon, was taken into custody and was later released. The reason for his release was unclear.

The clerk-of-court went on to say that Ferguson, having found himself in the area where the three vehicles were found, has some knowledge of how the vehicles got there, given that he mentioned ‘Blacks’ being the one who got him there.

The court also heard that Ferguson has been charged in relation to the car he was discovered in and will appear in the Trelawny Parish Court on August 9.

“Mr Ferguson, are you guilty or not guilty for stealing the car?” the judge asked the accused man.

“Not guilty, Your Honour,” Ferguson declared.

“Are you guilty for receiving?” the judge then asked. He also stated that he was not guilty.

In terms of the file’s completion, the clerk disclosed that a further statement from the investigating officer and the scene of crime are still outstanding.

She added that swabs for DNA and fingerprints had been taken and that they were awaiting the results, noting that they needed some time to complete the file.

Ferguson was remanded in custody until September 26 after Smith-Ashley told him he was not a suitable candidate for bail and ordered a legal aid assignment.