ST JAMES, Jamaica — A man who was hauled before the court for allegedly stealing three phones has painted himself as a concerned son who was simply trying to help pay for his mother’s eye surgery.

Romaine Christie appeared before Parish Judge Natiesha Fairclough-Hylton in the St James Parish Court on Wednesday to answer to a charge of simple larceny.

According to court documents, sometime in September Christie entered a store in Montego Bay and asked to have a look at three cell phones. He was handed three Samsung models and spent a brief moment looking them over before suddenly bolting from the store with all three.

The matter was reported to the police, and Christie was later arrested and charged.

During Wednesday’s hearing, Christie’s father appealed to the court for leniency, promising to repay the cost of the stolen phones.

Christie, for his part, told the court he had sold the devices in hopes of helping his mother, who he said was preparing for eye surgery.

Judge Natiesha Fairclough-Hylton, however, questioned his explanation.

“What I find funny is that Mr Christie says he stole the phones to sell them to help his mother with eye surgery, but having received the money, he didn’t pay for the eye surgery,” she remarked.

Christie replied that the surgery could not go ahead because his mother’s blood pressure was too high.

The matter was later referred to mediation, where Christie agreed to reimburse the complainant.

Judge Fairclough-Hylton then offered him bail in the sum of $150,000 with up to three sureties and set the case for mention on January 14, 2026.